Making IP Infringement A Crime
News Two weeks ago the European Commission announced that it had adopted proposals for a directive that would allow criminal-law provisions to combat infringements of IP rights. The Commission claimed that the proposed measures were merely "to align...
[August 1, 2005, 17:30]
EU Lawmakers Threaten Open Source
News The proposed directive, which was adopted by the European Commission last month, would allow criminal sanctions against "all intentional infringements of an IP right on a commercial scale". The European Commission has proposed a law that could...
[August 1, 2005, 17:45]
Judge Dreads Software Patents
News The European Commission has funded a study on the legal, technical and economic effects of software patents on innovation, but this study is not due to be finished until 2007. Justice Jacob said that IP rights are often justified on the "pragmatic...
[January 13, 2006, 16:00]
Broadcom Warns Bush Over Qualcomm Chip Veto
News In May Broadcom won a major patent infringement case against Qualcomm in which the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and a federal jury both found that Qualcomm had infringed on four Broadcom patents in the design of its 3G mobile-phone chips.
[July 9, 2007, 14:33]
EU Data-retention Directive Leaked
News The European Commission said the measures are now "urgent" and necessary for the "prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution" of criminals and terrorists. The latest version of the Directive, made public by the European Digital Rights...
[August 2, 2005, 9:45]
'DMCA On Steroids' Heads For Euro Parliament
News According to civil-liberties group European Digital Rights (EDRI), a compromise put forward by the European Commission could allow member states more flexibility in deciding the scope of the law, for example limiting the applicability of criminal...
[February 19, 2004, 20:39]
Microsoft Set To Appeal EC Ruling
News Microsoft will appeal the European Commission's record €497m fine and ask the courts to suspend the antitrust sanctions imposed on it until a final judgement is reached. One of the areas that Microsoft will pursue as part of its appeal is that the...
[March 24, 2004, 15:55]
Aussie Group Claims SCO's Demands Flout Law
News Open Source Victoria claims SCO is violating the Trade Practices Act and has updated its complaint against the company with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). At the moment it looks like the rights are with Novell, not SCO...
[January 22, 2004, 9:10]
Government Launches Review Of Intellectual Property Laws
News The proposed directive, which was adopted by the European Commission in July, would allow criminal sanctions against "all intentional infringements of an IP right on a commercial scale". Chancellor Gordon Brown has asked Andrew Gowers, former...
[December 2, 2005, 13:10]
FSF Keeps Pushing For Microsoft Server Protocols
News Piana added that a balance must be struck between Microsoft's interest in protecting its IP and the European Commission's interest in promoting competition. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has applied to intervene in a case Microsoft...
[November 25, 2005, 12:25]
FFII Slams EC Taskforce Over Software Patents
News A software development pressure group has slated a report published this week by the European Commission ICT Taskforce into intellectual property rights, saying it wrongly promotes software patents. The ICT Taskforce was set up by the Commission as...
[November 29, 2006, 13:48]
EU Considers Changes To IP Enforcement
News The Commission considers it essential to crack down on the 'big' offenders, and the proposal accordingly focuses on infringements committed for commercial purposes or causing significant harm to right holders," she wrote, noting: "This view has...
[May 16, 2003, 16:06]
HP Sues Acer Again Over Patents
News The four patents this time range from thermal management to video control, and are being disputed through a complaint filed with the same court and a separate complaint lodged with the International Trade Commission.
[April 23, 2007, 15:52]
Information Commission Lambasts Anti-terror Bill
News Sweeping measures to retain communications data for law enforcement purposes have been branded "unnecessary" by the Office of the Information Commissioner, along with the warning that such provisions are likely to infringe the Human Rights Act.
[November 14, 2001, 13:51]
