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News • IP News This Month
October 1, 2007
Welcome to CIPP's "IP News This Week", your 5-minute report of the latest IP news from around the world. IP News This Week arrives every Monday (most of the time!) and contains a review of all major newspapers and on-line IP sources. Comments? Send them to: jeff.roberts*at*mcgill.ca
Written and conceived by Jeff Roberts
Top 3 Stories
SCOTUS still not done with patent issues, will review extent to which companies can use licensing terms to skirt doctrine of first sale patent exhaustion
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In bed with the film lobby – literally! Canada’s director of copyright policy forced to leave post upon revelation that she helped implement legislation recommended by her lover the lobbyist
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Time to say goodbye: countries call for resignation of WIPO director amid allegations of deceit, cronyism and financial improprieties
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Canada
The Canadian law firm Davis LLP opened a virtual office in Second Life staffed by six associates who aspire to advise clients on online privacy and video game law
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The Federal Court denied Apotex’ attempt to invalidate a Pfizer patent for Viagra
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United States
The NYT notes that Disney is relaxing its usual iron-fist copyright controls to allow rap artists to make mash-ups with its characters
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The Washington Post has a worthy read on how the tech industry came to get the upper hand on big pharma in the lobbying battles over patent reform
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An ethics group is urging Congress to scrutinize Google`s copyright practices
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Congress is set to cancel all pending applications for tax-plan patents
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Philip Morris has filed suit against 105 retailers for infringing its Marlboro trademark to sell counterfeit cigarettes
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Qualcomm has signed a leading IP lawyer from Apple to help it recover from a series of patent and licensing debacles
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Beleaguered VOIP provider Vonage had yet another patent setbacks as a jury ordered it to pay $69.5 million in damages for infringing on Sprint’s technology
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Europe
In the wake of the ECJ’s recent anti-trust ruling against Microsoft, the French business press scolds Eurocrats for playing Robin Hood with the continent’s IP assets (La Tribune, 24 Septembre)
International
The WTO set up a dispute panel last week to investigate US allegations that China is failing to combat piracy and protect IP
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Trademark holders in Australia will soon be able to register yet another superfluous domain name suffix -- .asia will be available from ICANN next week (The Advertiser, September 29)