Monday, October 18, 2010
Exclusions from Patentability and Exceptions and Limitations to Patentees’ Rights
L.Bently et al., Experts' Study on Exclusions from Patentable Subject Matter and Exceptions and Limitations to the Rights. The WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents agreed to include a number of key substantive issues relating to patent law and practice in its future work.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Revising the Horizontal Merger Guidelines: Lessons from the E.U. and the U.S.
Richard J. Gilbert and Daniel L. Rubinfeld, here
A Single UK Competition and Markets Authority.
The Competition Commission (CC) and the competition functions of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will possibly merge.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
OLG Düsseldorf: Zum Verhältnis der GPL zu Markenrechten - xtCommerce
OLG Düsseldorf, Urteil v. 28.09.2010, Az. I-20 U 41/09, Telemedicus und ifrOSS ausführlich zum Fall.
A Library Without Walls - A US National Digital Library?
Robert Darnton, The New York Review of Books, here.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Un signe qui identifie un site et non une marque n’est pas une contrefaçon
Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris 3ème chambre, 2ème section Jugement du 01 octobre 2010
Place des Tendances / Promod, (Legalis.net)
Place des Tendances / Promod, (Legalis.net)
From "Radical Extremism" to "Balanced Copyright": Canadian Copyright and the Digital Agenda
Michael Geist, Introduction. From October 14th the book will be available in both paper and as a Creative Commons licenced download.
Der dritte Korb im Interesse von Bildung und Wissenschaft
NEUREGELUNG DES URHEBERRECHTS: ANLIEGEN UND DESIDERATE FÜR EINEN DRITTEN KORB (Wissenschaftsallianz) und Stellungnahme des Börsenvereins. Heise online berichtet über ein lebhaftes Fachgespräch der SPD-Bundestagsfraktion insbesondere zum formatgleichen Zweitveröffentlichungsrecht.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Public Policy and Market Competition: How the Master Settlement Agreement Changed the Cigarette Industry
Ciliberto, Federico and Kumino , Nicolai, here.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Monday, October 04, 2010
WIPO Symposium on Intellectual Property and Competition Policy
Enforcing Antitrust Law with Reference to Intellectual Property Assets: New Developments and Perspectives, October, 25, Geneva. Program.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
IP Rights and Competition
Italian Competition Authority's 20th Anniversary Celebratory Event, Rome October 8, 2010, Program. My presentation on Google Books (in Italian).
The First Decade: Challenges Facing New Competition Agencies
William Kovacic, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, here.
JOINT STATEMENT FROM ALL THE NEGOCIATING PARTIES TO ACTA
Here. Read also ECIS' position paper on ACTA.
Friday, October 01, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
WIPO's Medium Term Strategic Plan 2010-15
Here.
Concerning the SCCR, strategies include:
Concerning the SCCR, strategies include:
– "continuing to support the work of Member States on copyright limitations and exceptions, with a particular focus on improving access for visually impaired and other persons with print disabilities, while accelerating work with respect to access for persons with other disabilities, educational institutions, libraries and archives;
– continuing to support the work of Member States on the protection of audiovisual performances and on the protection of broadcasting organizations;
– exploring the scope for discussion of new issues with important global consequences, such as orphan works or the need for increased cooperation between copyright owners and Internet intermediaries in the making available of legitimate creative content, and encouraging consideration of self-regulatory, as well as formal solutions".
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Copyright law needs a digital-age upgrade
Pamela Samuelson, here, and by the same author et al. THE COPYRIGHT PRINCIPLES PROJECT: DIRECTIONS FOR REFORM
Derechos de retransmisión de acontecimientos futbolísticos en España
Apertura de un expediente sancionador por posibles prácticas restrictivas de la competencia, por vincular la reventa de derechos de retransmisión de acontecimientos futbolísticos a la contratación de los servicios de producción y transporte de la señal de partidos de fútbol, Comunicado de Prensa.
Competition for High Tech Employees
US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REQUIRES SIX HIGH TECH COMPANIES TO STOP
ENTERING INTO ANTICOMPETITIVE EMPLOYEE
SOLICITATION AGREEMENTS, Press Release.
ENTERING INTO ANTICOMPETITIVE EMPLOYEE
SOLICITATION AGREEMENTS, Press Release.
Koexistenz, keine Konkurrenz: Gedruckte Bücher und E-Books ergänzen sich
Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, hier.
Google Suggest : le directeur de la publication condamné pour diffamation
TGI de Paris, 8 septembre 2010, ici.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Gemeinsame Erklärung zum Vorhaben eines „Leistungsschutzrechts für Presseverleger“
Der Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) zusammen mit anderen Verbänden, hier.
Fernsehmitschnitte und Urheberrechtsschranken für Bildung und Wissenschaft
Vernichtungsanordnung als vorauseilender Gehorsam, Aktionsbündnis Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft e.V.
Spain Court Dismisses Telecinco Copyright Charges Vs YouTube
The Wall Street Journal, here. A quick French perspective here. Spanish press news here. Unofficial English translation of the decision here. See also E.Bonadio, D.Mula, Madrid court confirms YouTube's host status
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
WIPO Assemblies: Stevie Wonder Calls for International Action to Enhance Accessibility for Visually Impaired Persons
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Open Source and Merger Policy: Insights from the EU Oracle/Sun Decision
Simonetta Vezzoso (this blog's author), here. International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law (IIC), Forthcoming.
Abstract:
In Europe the merger between Oracle and Sun raised a series of substantial competition concerns, especially related to the acquisition by Oracle of MySQL, an open source business, and its impact on the database market. In the end, the acquisition was unconditionally cleared by the Commission. The open source nature of MySQL played a decisive role in the competition assessment of the merger conducted by the European competition authority according to the "significant impediment to effective competition" legal test. In this Article we will review the Commission’s decision with the specific aim of determining to what extent the open source nature of MySQL’s business model actually affected the scrutiny of Sun’s acquisition by Oracle under the relevant test. In particular, it will be questioned whether Oracle’s public announcement concerning its future behaviour on the database and related markets can be expected to duly address the concerns voiced by the Commission in the course of the merger proceedings. We will conclude that Judge Easterbrook’s much quoted conclusion that «[t]he GPL and open-source software have nothing to fear from the antitrust laws» may possibly need some qualification.
Content:
I. Introduction
II. The EU Oracle/Sun Merger Decision
1. The legal background
2. The SIEC test in the context of the Oracle/Sun case
3. The SIEC test and MySQL’s open source nature
III. The competition assessment of open source in the context of merger policy: in search of a
balanced approach
IV. Conclusion
Abstract:
In Europe the merger between Oracle and Sun raised a series of substantial competition concerns, especially related to the acquisition by Oracle of MySQL, an open source business, and its impact on the database market. In the end, the acquisition was unconditionally cleared by the Commission. The open source nature of MySQL played a decisive role in the competition assessment of the merger conducted by the European competition authority according to the "significant impediment to effective competition" legal test. In this Article we will review the Commission’s decision with the specific aim of determining to what extent the open source nature of MySQL’s business model actually affected the scrutiny of Sun’s acquisition by Oracle under the relevant test. In particular, it will be questioned whether Oracle’s public announcement concerning its future behaviour on the database and related markets can be expected to duly address the concerns voiced by the Commission in the course of the merger proceedings. We will conclude that Judge Easterbrook’s much quoted conclusion that «[t]he GPL and open-source software have nothing to fear from the antitrust laws» may possibly need some qualification.
Content:
I. Introduction
II. The EU Oracle/Sun Merger Decision
1. The legal background
2. The SIEC test in the context of the Oracle/Sun case
3. The SIEC test and MySQL’s open source nature
III. The competition assessment of open source in the context of merger policy: in search of a
balanced approach
IV. Conclusion
Thursday, September 16, 2010
EU Stakeholders Dialogue Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on access to works by people with print disabilities
Here. See also the EU Commission's press release (thanks to Antonella De Robbio for pointing it to me).
UK Joint Merger Assessment Guidelines Released
From the Press Release: "The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Competition Commission (CC) have today for the first time published joint Merger Assessment Guidelines (...) The publication revises and expands guidance previously contained in several publications issued separately by the two Authorities after the introduction of the Enterprise Act 2002".
Competition in the Evolving Digital Marketplace
US House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, Thursday 9/16/2010.
Written testimonies:
Richard Feinstein (Federal Trade Commission), here.
Geoffrey A. Manne (LEWIS & CLARK LAW SCHOOL), here.
Edward J. Black (Computer and Communications Industry Association), here.
Mark Cooper (Consumer Federation of America), here
Morgan Reed (Association for Competitive Technology), here
Scott Cleland (Precursor LLC), here.
Written testimonies:
Richard Feinstein (Federal Trade Commission), here.
Geoffrey A. Manne (LEWIS & CLARK LAW SCHOOL), here.
Edward J. Black (Computer and Communications Industry Association), here.
Mark Cooper (Consumer Federation of America), here
Morgan Reed (Association for Competitive Technology), here
Scott Cleland (Precursor LLC), here.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Facilitating Access to Culture in the Digital Age - WIPO Global Meeting on Emerging Copyright Licensing Modalities
November 4 and 5, 2010 – WIPO, 34, chemin des Colombettes, Geneva. Audio recording of the meeting now available.
Monday, September 13, 2010
On establishing the leader of a cartel
General Court, T-29/05 Deltafina / Commission, in particular paras 332-336
Software licenses and first sale doctrine
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Vernor v. Autodesk. See also this comprehensive post on Groklaw.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
On Copyright in Headlines
Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Reed International Books Australia Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 984 (7 September 2010), Federal Court of Australia.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Rachat par la coopérative agricole Sodiaal du groupe Entremont autorisé
D'après le Communiqué "Avec l'acquisition du groupe Entremont, Sodiaal deviendra le numéro 2 sur le marché de la collecte de lait en France, derrière le groupe Lactalis. Les fournisseurs auxquels cette coopérative fera face sur ce marché seront cependant ses propres adhérents et l'Autorité a rappelé que ce contexte assurait un équilibre des relations entre vendeurs et acheteur, les éleveurs bénéficiant de leur position de sociétaires et de la sécurisation de leurs débouchés."
Friday, September 03, 2010
Price fixing in the air transportation industry
From the US Department of Justice Press Release: "Polar Air Cargo LLC has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $17.4 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the air transportation industry".
Advocate General Ján Mazák on (the absence of) margin squeeze
Opinion, Case C-52/09, Konkurrensverket v TeliaSonera AB.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
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J. Stiglitz, here .
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The White House, here .
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J. Gans, here .
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Ofcom, here .
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Natasha The Great, here .