U.S. Copyright Office Releases Public Draft of New Compendium of Copyright Office Practices

[U.S. Copyright Office] Register of Copyrights Maria A. Pallante today released a public draft of the Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition (the “Third Edition”). The first major revision in more than two decades, the draft presents more than 1200 pages of administrative practices and sets the stage for a number of long-term improvements in registration and recordation policy. It will remain in draft form for approximately 120 days pending final review and implementation, taking effect on or around December 15, 2014. Click here for more.

MSF Letter to Indian Government – IP negotiations in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

[Médecins Sans Frontières]  Ahead of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Conference to be held in Myanmar on 27-28 August 2014, see the letter below from Médecins Sans Frontières addressed to the Indian Minister of State for Commerce & Industry regarding the inclusion of intellectual property (IP) in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and its potential impact on access to affordable generic medicines from India. Click here for more.

Preventive Detention for Copyright Violation: Karnataka Amends the ‘Goondas’ Act

[Nehaa Chaudhari] Last week, the Government of Karnataka amended the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug-Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Gamblers Act, 1985 (“the Karnataka Goondas Act”). The Karnataka Goondas Act would now also apply to offences under the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. This article presents an overview on the various provisions of this law and discusses the potential impact of the amendment.  Click here for the full story on Spicy IP.

Trade Secret Fair Use

[Deepa Varadarajan] Abstract: Trade secret law arose to help companies protect confidential information (e.g., the Coca-Cola formula) from competitors seeking to copy their innovative efforts. But companies increasingly use trade secret law to block a wide swath of information from the scrutinizing eyes of consumers, public watchdog groups, and potential improvers. Companies can do this, in part, because trade secret law lacks clear limiting doctrines that consider the social benefits of unauthorized use. Click here for more.