Monthly Archive for April, 2009

New Zealand Anti-Counterfeit Law Passes First Reading

April 22, 2009

The Trade Marks Amendment Bill 2008 has approved its first proceeding legislative, after the decision of the parliament to apply stronger sanctions in its fight against the merchandise falsification.

The modifications that will be implemented through this amendment will allow that New Zealand subscribes diverse international treaties of protection of the registered trademarks, including: the Madrid Protocol, the Singapore Treaty and the Nice Agreement.

The legislators have indicated that the primary target of the legal modification is to fortify the sanctions against the crimes of piracy and merchandise falsification. Additionally, the Ministry of Development will be authorized to investigate to process to the delinquents implied in the manufacture, the distribution and the sale of illegal merchandise.

“The sale of falsified merchandise is an increasing problem that is hurting the productivity and the financial viability of many businesses”, said the Minister of Commerce, Simon Power. The work of prevention and investigation carried out by the police, will be now complemented by the actions that are carried out from the Ministry of Development.

The amendment document will be sent next to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee for an additional revision before being sent to the parliament where it will vow on his definitive acceptance.

DPMA Will Replace DPInfo MOD

April 22, 2009

The German office of the patent and the registered trade name (DPMA) announced that from the 30 of April of 2009 the new version of its Web sites of Internet will enter operation.

The new siter will replace to the present one, DPInfo, and will be available in: http://register.dpma.de/. Additionally it will contain some improvements like the possibility of carrying out searches for the geographic indications.

World Intellectual Property Day 2009: Promoting Green Innovation

April 22, 2009

This years World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 focuses on promoting green innovation as a key element in meeting the challenges of climate change. In his message to mark the day, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry highlights the contribution that a balanced intellectual property (IP) system can make in enabling the development of technology based solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Mr. Gurrys message follows:

Human activity, including decades of technological development, has damaged our planet. Wide spread pollution and spiraling consumption of the worlds mineral and biological reserves have put unprecedented stress on the environment. Climate change is one of the greatest threats ever faced by society: glaciers are disappearing; desertification is increasing; in Africa alone, between 75 and 250 million people will face increased water shortages by 2020.

As human activity caused the problem, so too can human activity find the solutions. Green innovation the development and diffusion of technological means to tackle climate change is key to halting the depletion of the earths resources.

The race is on to develop accessible alternative sources of energy, as we work to harness the wind and tides, capture the power of the sun, and tap the geothermal energy underground. New plant varieties are being developed to withstand drought and flooding. New environmentally friendly materials will help us construct a more sustainable world.

On World IP Day 2009, the World Intellectual Property Organization highlights the contribution of a balanced intellectual property system to stimulating the creation, diffusion and application of clean technologies; to promoting green design, aimed at creating products that are eco friendly from conception to disposal; to green branding, helping consumers make informed choices and giving companies a competitive edge.

The power of human ingenuity is our best hope for restoring the delicate balance between ourselves and our environment. It is our greatest asset in finding solutions to this global challenge, enabling us to move forward from the carbon based, grey technologies of the past to the carbon neutral, green innovation of the future.