June 2005 Archives

By Andy Kellett -

How do you value the intellectual property of your organisation, and perhaps more importantly, how do you ensure that once data/information that has a commercial value has been generated, it is properly protected from unauthorised publication?

Earlier in the week I was watching a flurry of e-mails with an attached copy of what was suggested to be Jamie Oliver’s latest book of cooking recipes as they crossed between private individuals and corporate e-mail mailboxes, which highlighted some of the problems involved in keeping information that has a real commercial value adequately contained.

Snagging hackers is tougher than it may seem.

By Jeanne Sahadi -

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – News that hackers broke into the database of payment processor CardSystems, which contained information on over 40 million credit card accounts, raises the obvious question: Who did it?

The FBI is investigating and doesn't discuss cases that are pending. But if recent history is any guide, there's a fair chance the hackers may not be caught, or not anytime soon.

TAIPEI, June 29 Asia Pulse - The Intellectual Property Academy (IPC) established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs began operations Tuesday with the aim of cultivating 1,000 professionals annually to help corporations create, protect and use the fruits of intellectual property.

The academy began operations after a plaque-unveiling ceremony at the academy's office on the National Taiwan University campus. The ceremony was presided over by Tsai Lien-sheng, director-general of the MOEA's Intellectual Property Office and NTU President Lee Szu-tsen.

REDMOND, Wash., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) today announced several steps to strengthen the intellectual property (IP) protection it provides to PC manufacturers, including its larger original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and smaller OEM System Builder partners, OEM distributors, and independent software vendor (ISV) Royalty partners. Collectively, these partners account for more than $18 billion of Microsoft's annual software revenue. The IP protection provided by Microsoft, commonly referred to as indemnification, helps shield partner companies from exposure to legal costs and damage claims related to patent or other intellectual property disputes.

Pirated music, videos and software and counterfeit goods have become big business in Brazil, with organized crime often reaping the profits.

By Jim Landers -

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Luiz Antonio de Medeiros tells a story of organized crime, corrupt police, a frightened judge and a $2 million effort to buy his silence.

BEIJING, June 21 -- The Chinese Government is offering as much as 300,000 yuan (US$36,000) to people who report illegal CD and DVD copy production lines, according to the China Daily.

The National Anti-Pornography-and-Piracy Office said it had opened a hotline (010-65233456) for people to report pirate factories on the mainland, Liu Binjie, vice minister of the office, said Sunday.

The announcement came at the launch of a new round of nationwide crackdowns on pirated audio and video products Sunday.

By Andy Sullivan -

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A recent computer security breach that left 40 million credit cards vulnerable to fraud shows how online criminals are scoring big by thinking small, experts said on Monday.

Cybercriminals are increasingly crafting more focused attacks with a potential for profit as they target one or two companies at a time, rather than blasting out Internet virus attacks across the globe, according to security experts.

Calls on Ambassador Portman to Get Tough in Effort to Prevent Brazil's 'State-Sponsored Piracy'

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Defenders of Property Rights (DPR) today called on the Office of the United States Trade Representative to prevent Brazil's theft of U.S. drug patents and to consider sanctions against President Lula's government as an option during a joint press conference today at the National Press Club.

U.K. Audit Commission Report Highlights Need to Test Web Security

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2005--Following this month's U.K. Audit Commission report showing that downloading Internet porn is the most common form of ICT abuse in the public sector, Clearswift, the world's No. 1 in content security, today launched a free online Web Threat Assessment Suite to allow organizations to check the effectiveness of their Web security.

The Web Threat Assessment Suite (www.clearswift.com/threattest) simulates more than 30 menaces to demonstrate the potential threats which can penetrate an organization's defenses through an employee's Web browser.

By Dennis Fernandez and Neal Sainani -

1. Too late to start filing patent applications.

Unfortunately for many good technology companies, it may be too late to file for patent protection. The current Canadian rule provides applicants with a one-year grace period during which a patent application must be filed after certain public or private disclosure of the invention. Such disclosure may arise, for example, from a mere "offer for sale" of the technology, even if the product has not yet been built or prototyped.

OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 2005--With rules governing electronic commerce in flux, businesses face newer, tougher and costlier liability exposures to intellectual property-infringement claims, according to an exclusive report in the June 6 edition of BestWeek.

These claims have become commonplace as technology advances rapidly, and grindingly slow judicial and legislative systems contemplate what is acceptable business conduct on the World Wide Web.

Washington – High tech CEOs has called for the expansion of barrier-free trade and the immediate passage the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). As part of the Business Software Alliance’s (BSA) CEO Initiative for the Future, the CEOs also released a new trade study emphasizing the vital contributions that the technology sector makes to the U.S. and global economies.

The CEO study, Trade in the Digital Age, outlines a number of recommendations for policymakers aimed at spurring greater innovation and continued economic growth.

Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. -

Eight years ago I published a book of short stories in Israel. The publishing house belongs to Israel's leading (and exceedingly wealthy) newspaper. I signed a contract which stated that I am entitled to receive 8% of the income from the sales of the book after commissions payable to distributors, shops, etc. A few months later (1997), I won the coveted Prize of the Ministry of Education (for short prose). The prize money (a few thousand DMs) was snatched by the publishing house on the (dubious) legal grounds that all the money generated by the book belongs to them because they own the copyright.

By Tim Cook -

What is IP?

IP includes all valuable information and ideas, as well as the more familiar registered IP rights, such as patents, domain names, trademarks, business names, logos and designs, and unregistered IP rights, such as trade secrets, copyright and database rights. Prudent businesses will appreciate the legal and commercial benefits of identifying and protecting IP.

Beijing's inability to curb rampant intellectual-property theft is infuriating its trading partners

By Matthew Forney -

Silk Alley in Beijing was probably the world's most infamous market for fake consumer goods. Located within sight of the U.S. embassy, the noisy outdoor warren of stalls became such a magnet for foreign tourists that Lonely Planet's guidebook to Beijing suggests backpackers shop there for Gucci handbags, Nike sneakers and a host of other designer products, few of them authentic but most so meticulously duplicated by Chinese manufacturers that no one could tell the difference.

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 2005--Red Hat (NASDAQ: RHAT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions to the enterprise announced its strong commitment to patent reform to remove barriers to innovation at the Red Hat Summit today. Mark Webbink, Deputy General Counsel at Red Hat, addressed the audience articulating a three-part intellectual property strategy aimed at ensuring an open right to innovate.

The first part of the strategy announced by Webbink builds on the work of the Fedora project, the free Linux project sponsored by Red Hat.

Blogging breaks into the enterprise-level software arena as a serious business and technical collaboration solution. PatentCafe's Private Patent Blogs connect patent attorneys, R&D managers, and business development or licensing professionals responsible for managing the patent portfolio of an enterprise. -

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) June 1, 2005 -- PatentCafe has introduced Private Patent Blogs that connect patent attorneys, R&D managers, and business development or licensing professionals responsible for managing the patent portfolio of an enterprise. Blogs now help companies generate revenue, and keep an eye on the competition’s patent activity.

by David Utter -

Under Secretary Jon Dudas discussed illegal downloading and software piracy with Utah schoolkids recently.

Mr. Dudas made his remarks at the Legacy Elementary School in American Fork, Utah. He asked the children and their parents to do what they can to help stem the tide of global IP piracy.