European Union Intellectual Property Rights Law and Policy
Nation states within the European Union work to standardize their national laws for intellectual property rights to a single uniform standard within the European Community. International agreements, or “Directives” are passed at the EU level that have binding effect upon the nations within the Community. Intellectual property rights is one of the most hotly contested policy issues at the EU-level, particularly as new states join the EU. Therefore the EU Parliament receives frequent proposals to revise European law dealing with intellectual property rights.
The most noteworthy EU Directive in the area is the 2001 EU Copyright Directive, which among other things, outlawed bypassing digital locks on movies or CDs. But a new court decision from Finland has narrowed the directive’s ability to ban “ineffective” measures, such as that used on DVDs.
Key European Union Directives on Copyright and Related Rights:
See also:
30 Apr, 2008: “The Problem with the Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty (and What To Do About It)” by Aaron Shaw (KEI Studies) 
In mid-February 2008, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a request for public comments on the proposed “Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement” (ACTA). However, with the exception of a handful of press releases, information about the proposal itself remains scarce. Mainstream media outlets have printed USTR officials' talking points about the importance of winning “the fight against fakes,” ...
25 Mar, 2008: IP Justice White Paper on the Proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)
In 2007 a select handful of the wealthiest countries began a treaty-making process to create a new global standard for intellectual property rights enforcement, the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA is spearheaded by the United States, the European Commission, Japan, and Switzerland -- those countries with the largest intellectual property industries. Other countries invited to participate in ...
13 Mar, 2008: Sign the Petition to EU Parliament to Use Open Standards and Promote Interoperability
If you are a European citizen, sign the petition to "Open Parliament" and encourage the use of open standards and interoperable systems in the European ICT sector. The Open Parliament Petition states that citizens should not have to use the software of a single company in order to communicate with their elected officials or participate in the legislate ...
26 Feb, 2008: Lobby groups oppose plans for EU copyright extension
The European Commission currently has proposals on the table to extend performers' copyright terms. Described by Professor Martin Kretschmer as the "Beatles Extension Act", the proposed measure would extend copyright from 50 to 95 years after recording. A vast number of classical tracks are at stake; the copyright on recordings from the fifties and early sixties is nearing its expiration ...
23 Feb, 2008: UK Gowers Review on Intellectual Property (Dec. 2006 Final Report)
"The principle recommendations of the Review are aimed at: 1. tackling IP crime and ensuring that rights are well enforced; 2. reducing the costs and complexity of the system; and 3. reforming copyright law to allow individuals and institutions to use content in ways consistent with the digital age. The IP framework must create incentives for innovation, without unduly ...
10 Feb, 2008: 25-27 Feb. 2008 Conference on Standards and the Future of the Internet in Geneva
OpenForum Europe are pleased to invite you to a conference on: "Standards and the Future of the Internet - the role of open standards, standards development and standards organisations for innovation and healthy marketplaces"
25-27 February at the International Conference Centre, Geneva
In a keynote session on 26 February, OFE Chief Executive, Graham Taylor,
will moderate a panel of highly distinguished speakers: ...
10 Dec, 2007: Broadcast Treaty: Council of Europe Picks Up Where WIPO Left Off (IP-Watch)
The Council of Europe is deliberating on whether to negotiate a convention to protect broadcasters’ signals against piracy and thereby take up the issue from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) where negotiations on a proposed broadcasting treaty came to a standstill earlier this year. The Council’s decision to proceed depends on approval by its Committee of Ministers. The ...
1 Dec, 2007: EU Acceptance Of TRIPS Health Amendment Adds 28 Members (IP-Watch)
The European Union has taken steps to ratify a 2005 decision by the World Trade Organization designed to ensure that intellectual property does not limit access to medicines in developing countries. Peter Mandelson, the EU’s trade commissioner, announced on 30 November that the Union has formally told the WTO that it accepts a protocol amending the Agreement on Trade-Related ...
29 Nov, 2007: UN Committee Questions CAFTA’s IP Provisions On Human Rights Grounds (IP-Watch)
"The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in a recent meeting echoed concerns raised by Costa Rican opponents of the Central American free trade agreement with the United States, particularly with regards to intellectual property rights. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias signed the Central American-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) on 21 November after ...
21 Nov, 2007: S. Korea Urged to Increase IPR in EU Trade Talks (IP-Watch)
South Korea has been urged to strengthen its intellectual property rules in order to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union. Talks are underway between the EU and the Seoul government aimed at achieving a far-reaching liberalisation of commerce between the two sides. In a report approved on 20 November by the European Parliament’s international trade ...
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