Submission to Government of Singapore, Re: Public Consultation on Proposed Changes to Singapore’s Copyright

[Peter Jaszi, Michael Carroll, Sean Flynn, and Meredith Jacob]  Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments as part of the public consultation on the proposed changes to Singapore’s Copyright law. We have focused this submission on the proposal to remove the fifth factor, the ability to obtain a copy of the work within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price. Click here for more.

EU Member States Should Push To Improve Commission’s Disappointing Copyright Proposal

[Timothy Vollmer] Last month the European Commission released its proposed changes to copyright in the EU. Unfortunately, the proposal fails to deliver on the promise for a modern copyright law in Europe. In an ideal world, the Directive would have provided for progressive policy changes to serve the goals of a unified digital marketplace across Europe. It would have jumpstarted economic activity, championed innovative digital technologies and services, and protected consumers and access to information. It would have expanded opportunities for European businesses, cultural heritage institutions, educators, and the research community. Click here for more.

Does IP Have a Role in Sustainable Development? Of Course It Does!

[Sara Bannerman] Does intellectual property have a role in sustainable development?  Of course it does!  But the World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN agency, seems uncertain as to whether it has a role to play in implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As I note in a draft book chapter, WIPO’s preliminary analysis of the ways in which its work supported SDGs viewed most of WIPO’s work as contributing to SDG 9, the building of infrastructure and industrialization, as well as goal 8, that of economic growth. Click here for more.

See also: See also, Catherine Saez for IP Watch. WIPO Development Committee Finds Compromise On Future Work. Link.

Australia Should Reject U.S. Push for Even Longer TPP Medicine Monopolies

[AFTINet] [AFTINet Press Release, Link] “The Australian government should reject the push from US Republican Congress members to increase biologic medicine monopolies by seven years, even more than the extra three years which has already been agreed in the TPP text,” Dr Patricia Ranald, Convener of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network said today. Click here for more.

See also:  Corinne Reichard for ZD Net. Australian intellectual property laws won’t be changed for TPP –  Government. Link

Why I Came To Believe CRS Reports Should be Publicly Available (and Built a Website to Make it Happen)

[Daniel Schuman] … Today my organization, in concert with others, published 8,200 CRS reports on a new website, EveryCRSReport.com. We are not the first organization to publish CRS reports. Many others have done so. Nor are we the first to advocate for public access. We’re part of a huge coalition that includes many former CRS employees. But I think we are the first to publish just about all the (non-confidential) reports currently available to members of Congress, in concert with a bipartisan pair of members who are providing the reports to us, and with a method to keep on doing so. Click here for more.