Never too late: if you missed the IPKat last week
Did you miss the IPKat last week? Not to worry, the 95th edition of Never Too Late is here.
Last August, The Economist attracted wide-spread attention with its cover story, "Set Innovation Free", here and here, in which it aggressively attacked the patent system as too often inimical to innovation. In this Kat’s view, The Economist had cobbled together bits and pieces of economic history and empirical analysis to promote a broad patent-hostile narrative, in line with the fashion among some IP thought leaders. Story brought to you by Neil Wilkof.
Is the UPC's Code of Conduct "fit for purpose"? CCBE encourages Preparatory Committee to re-evaulate
Merpel spots an important letter from the President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE). The letter encourages the UPC Preparatory Committee to take its time to ensure that the UPC Code of Conduct is "fully fit for purpose". Merpel hopes that the issues raised are dealt with before UPC opens its doors.
Former Guest Kat Valentina Torelli discusses the interesting opinion of Advocate General Wathelet on the interrelationship between EU legislation and national infringement law in case C-280/15 'Nikolajeva.'
Nicola Searle brings you the highlights from the event at the Glasgow School of Art: "Fashion as Urban Creative Economy: Start-ups, IP and the Rise of E-Commerce". Two key IP themes emerged – IP is low on the list of the woes of independent fashion brands, and copying/borrowing/being-inspired-by are common, even sanctioned, in fashion.
Ellie Wilson reports on the International Chamber of Commerce report comparing the experiences of IP litigators and businesses in 24 countries (and other miscellany, including the news that UK patent filings involving female inventors has more than tripled in the past 30 years).
The Amerikat reports on this breaking news story and wonders which country will be lucky number 13 to ratify the UPC.
Darren and Tristan Sherliker bring you the latest mews on the copyright complaint by Paramount against the makers of independent Star Trek movie, Axanar. Copyrightability of the Klingon language is one of the issues being tested, though this case does not only concern language – it relates to nearly every element of a creative franchise.
David Brophy brings you the news from ITMA's panel discussion on the practical implications of the Trunki decision (courtesy of Lydia Birch and David Coldham of Gowlings).
Mike Mireles ponders whether the result of the upcoming presidential election may set the stage for substantial changes to the bio-pharmaceutical industry, says we are coming to a critical policy choice soon concerning whether to continue to further regulate the price of pharmaceuticals or continue to allow bio-pharmaceutical companies to control pricing.
Alberto Bellan brings you the latest on plain tobacco packaging.
Emma Perot brings you news of a copyright infringement claim against a supplier of in-flight entertainment packages. The plaintiffs, which included UMG Recordings, Capitol Records and Universal Music Publishing Group, claimed that IFP infringed copyright in numerous works by failing to secure appropriate copyright licences.
PREVIOUSLY ON NEVER TOO LATE
Never too late 94 [week ending on Sunday 1 May] - Vantablack: is it possible to have rights over a colour? | Anne Frank's diary & geoblocking | Magic Leap lampoons Google Glass | Arnold's decision in Richter Gedeon Vegyeszeti Gyar RT v Generics| US Trade Secrets Act passes House | Publishing and the Machine| DSM Communication on Platforms leaked!| Google Books legal saga ends | s52 CPDA repeal comes into force 28 July 2016 | The latest Jack Wills v House of Fraser judgment
Never too late 93 [week ending on Sunday 24 April] - No UK judges in the UPC? | Young EPLaw Congress | EU Commission SPC update | Technical teach-ins for judges | Patentability of user-interface designs | Trade Secrets and Copyright Pre-Emption | Austro-Mechana v Amazon C-572/14 | Lay-offs at Intel | Trade Marks and Cadbury | Shakespeare's Cultural Capital | Geo-blocking and competition law
Never too late 92 [week ending Sunday 17 April] - In memoriam of Kay Chapman - American Science's mobile X-ray patent valid - General Court decision on proving use of a trade mark - Life as an IP lawyers: Bratislava, Slovakia - Led Zep: you wouldn't steal a Carouselambra - Much Ado about patents - EU trade secrets directive approved - Royal Charter for Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys - The Rise of the Maintainers - The future of Supplementary Patent Certificates - Innovation & noncompete clauses - Are patent trolls a problem in the ITC?
Never too late 91 [week ending on Sunday 10 April] - The Future of second-medical-use patents, Fordham 2016|AG Opinion in United Video Properties, Inc v Telenet NV, C-57/15|Batman v Superman in commercial context| Trade Secrets and the Bio-Pharmaceutical industry| Panorama and the three step test in the Swedish Supreme Court| Public consultation on the Enforcement Directive| Hyperlinks in GS Media, C-160/15 | Life as an IP Lawyer in São Paulo | | The Internkats | Corn Thins: descriptive? | Tourism and Culture in the Age of Innovation | Lord Neuberger's most difficult case | US Senate passes Trade Secrets Act
Never too late 91 [week ending on Sunday 10 April] - The Future of second-medical-use patents, Fordham 2016|AG Opinion in United Video Properties, Inc v Telenet NV, C-57/15|Batman v Superman in commercial context| Trade Secrets and the Bio-Pharmaceutical industry| Panorama and the three step test in the Swedish Supreme Court| Public consultation on the Enforcement Directive| Hyperlinks in GS Media, C-160/15 | Life as an IP Lawyer in São Paulo | | The Internkats | Corn Thins: descriptive? | Tourism and Culture in the Age of Innovation | Lord Neuberger's most difficult case | US Senate passes Trade Secrets Act