WIPO SMEs Newsletter January 2010
By the SMEs Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
WIPO SMEs Newsletter is a monthly e-publication providing readers with useful intellectual
property (IP) information contained in articles, case studies, forthcoming IP/SMEs relevant events,
and published presentations featured on our web site. We hope you will find it useful and
informative. We encourage you to share the newsletter or items of interest with friends and
colleagues. For past issues and information on the activities of the SMEs Division, please
visit
http://www.wipo.int/sme.
NEWS
WIPO Welcomes EU Ratification of the WIPO “Internet Treaties”
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Francis
Gurry, welcomed on December 14, 2009
the ratification by the
European Union (EU) of the so-called “Internet Treaties” - the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and
the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) - which established the basic standards of
protection for copyright and related rights in the digital environment.
Noting that the EU plays a leading role in promoting the use of the Internet and in developing
on-line content, Mr. Gurry said its ratification of the treaties will positively influence the
development of creativity within the digital environment in Europe and beyond.
Program and Budget for the 2010/11 Biennium: PROGRAM 30: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - Objectives, Challenges and Strategies
In response to the strong desire expressed by the Member States of WIPO to see Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) more clearly reflected in the proposed Program and Budget 2010/11,
a separate program: “
Program 30 Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises”, was established under Strategic Goal III (Facilitating the Use of IP for
Development). The objective of the new program is to enable the greater and more effective use
of IP asset management strategies by SMEs for strengthening their competitiveness, especially in
developing countries, LDCs and countries with economies in transition. The Program will
endeavor to identify and understand the needs of SMEs as well as barriers to their use of the IP
system and gaps in services provided to them. The Program will develop activities to meet
these needs such as activities that encourage the formulation of policies for integrating IP asset
management into innovation promotion and SME competitiveness, awareness creation and capacity
building activities principally through of training of trainers programs.
Invitation to Partners
We encourage
potential partners to join us in
implementing this program of action by contributing their resources and expertise in a true
partnership so as to ensure real benefits to the stake holders, synergy and cost
effectiveness.
Overview of the Activities of the SMEs Division in 2009
More
(This pdf will be uploaded on Monday February 1, 2010)
WIPO Outlines How It Can Help Meet the Challenges of Climate Change
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry participated on December 16, 2009 in a series of events
related to international climate talks in Copenhagen and outlined
how WIPO can contribute
to international efforts to mitigate climate change. Mr. Gurry underlined that policies that
stimulate the creation and diffusion of technology are key elements in developing an effective and
practical global response to the threats posed by climate change. He said judicious use of the
intellectual property (IP) system can make a
positive contribution
in crafting the numerous and diverse technological solutions needed to attenuate the impacts of
climate change.
SCCR Commits to Improving Access by Visually Impaired to Copyright-Protected Works
WIPO’s top copyright negotiating forum has agreed to move forward with discussions that could
lead to better access to copyright-protected works by the blind, visually impaired (VIP) and other
reading-disabled persons. The
Standing Committee on
Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), meeting from December 14 to 18, 2009, decided to
accelerate the work on copyright exceptions and limitations for the benefit of persons with reading
disabilities.
PCT Billing Scam Stopped by Florida Attorney General
Florida-based company (“Federated Institute for Patent and Trademark Registry”) was this month
found to have
violated the state's
Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by sending out by mass mail, misleading “invoices” to
patent and trademark applicants—including users of WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) which facilitates the process of
seeking international patent protection.
The offending company was requesting payment for a service which in fact had no value. WIPO
was pleased to cooperate with the Florida authorities in this case. During the trial, a WIPO PCT
expert provided testimony about the misleading nature of the invitations and the harm suffered by
PCT applicants.
WIPO has consistently warned users
of its international filing and registration services - which facilitate the process of protecting
patents, trademarks and designs in multiple countries - about the existence of these deceptive
practices.
Intellectual Property (IP) Support for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): Needs Assessment Questionnaire – A Brief Presentation of the Findings and Recommendations
87 national IP offices have
responded
to a
needs
assessment questionnaire distributed by WIPO.
Customized Versions from Pakistan of the four IP for Business guides, “Making a Mark”, “Looking Good”, “Inventing the Future” and “Creative Expression” Published
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), with the support of WIPO, has
published the Pakistan customization of four WIPO guides entitled, “
Making
a Mark”, “
Looking
Good”, “
Inventing
the Future ” and “
Creative
Expression”.
Customized Version of the Textile Guide, “Stitch in Time” Published
SMEDA with the support of WIPO, has also customized and published the Textile guide entitled, “Stitch
in Time”.
Czech Republic’s Translated Version of the Patents Guide, “Inventing the Future” Published
The Patent Office of the Czech Republic with the support of WIPO, has published the Czech
translation of the WIPO patent guide entitled, “
Inventing
the Future”.
The translation and/or customization of
the publications of SMEs Division may be
authorized as per the outlined
procedures.
An interested party may send a communication to Mr. Guriqbal Singh Jaiya, Director, SMEs
Division by email at
guriqbal.jaiya@wipo.int. Technical and
financial assistance would be offered to credible proposals received from national IP offices,
copyright administrations, and SME support institutions. Preference would be given to
proposals received from institutions in developing and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as well as
countries-in-transition to a market-oriented economy in Europe and Asia. Other
examples of national translations and/or
customizations may be seen
here
.
TRAINING RESOURCES
IP PANORAMATM Multimedia Toolkit
Module 1 of the
IP PANORAMA multimedia toolkit has been
updated in a more user-friendly manner. Please check it out at
http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/multimedia/ or
http://www.ippanorama.com/.
Business Guide of Cornell University
Are you going to do business, especially in the apparel or textile field? If then, start with
checking out “
The Cutting Edge Apparel
Business Guide,” a business guide provided by Cornell University. This guide provides
industry-specific information to the entrepreneur who is developing, producing, or selling an
apparel or sewn product or a service. It consists of seven modules that can stand alone to provide
information on specific business aspects, or used together as a primer on starting or growing an
apparel or sewn products business.
CASE STUDY
GRINGO – The Cause Brand
We feature in this newsletter
GRINGO a success story from
Mozambique. GRINGO is jeans brand that has successfully used the IP system in building its brand
and protecting it in over 40 countries. Its owner and founder of the company calls it the Cause
Brand, because GRINGO stands for a cause; the cause of eradicating hunger and poverty and the
Cause in turn has added value to the Brand.
Nature’s Medicines: Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Management. Case Studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA
This article
reviews the forty years of cumulative experience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in
natural products drug discovery, including (1) three major cooperative programs, (2) the legal
mechanisms for cooperation and (3) illustrative case studies from these programs.
IP MANAGEMENT
Strategic Intellectual Property Portfolio Management: Technology Appraisal by Using the “ Technology Heat Map”
In this paper, Masayuki Miyake, Yuji Mune and Keiichi Himeno of Nomura Research Institute
explain how to strategically manage an intellectual property portfolio by using a new technology
analysis tool called “
Technology Heat
Map,” which has been developed by the Institute.
IP Management – A Practical Guide
Open Source Software Intellectual Property Management
This paper addresses the foundational components of successful
open source software IP
management, including challenges, success factors and best practices.
LINKS
Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet
This paper, which is written by David L. Hayes, Chairman of Intellectual Property Practice
Group, Fenwick & West LLP, discusses the multitude of areas in which
copyright
issues arise in an online context. He points out in this paper that because the law is still
developing with respect to many of these issues, a great deal of uncertainty is likely to exist as
the issues are worked out over time through the courts and the various relevant legislative bodies
and industry organizations.
Intellectual Property Law: Taking a Leadership Position
In this paper, Tarek N. Fahmi, Partner of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, provides
some
useful tips on how to manage IP portfolios based on his practice experiences.
Manifesto for Patent Reform in Asia – Pacific, CompTIA
How Web Conferencing Security Works
Protecting Know-How and Trade Secrets in Collaborative R&D Relationships
In
this article, Gene
Slowinski, Edward Hummel and Robert Kumpf describe legal and non-legal methods firms use to protect
intellectual assets in terms of collaborative R&D relationships.
PAST EVENT
WIPO Roving Seminar on IP and Competitiveness of Agro-Foods SMEs (Dar es Salaam, United
Republic of Tanzania, December 17 and 18, 2009)
NOTE:
The SMEs Division welcomes voluntary contributions of articles, case studies, news items,
useful links and relevant information concerning forthcoming events of interest to entrepreneurs
and SMEs for inclusion in future issues of this newsletter; contributions may be sent by email to
sme@wipo.int.
If you have received this newsletter from someone and would like to subscribe yourself, then
simply send an e-mail to
sme@wipo.int with "subscribe" as the subject, and indicate your
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The past issues of this newsletter, since August 2001, may be accessed
here.
Copyright (c) 2010 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 34, chemin des
Colombettes, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
