10 Jul, 2008: The fight Against Counterfeiting and Piracy in the Bilateral Trade Agreements of the EU (EU Parliament Briefing Paper)
By Duncan Matthews (Queens Mary University of London)

21 Jun, 2008: 2008 USTR Special 301 Report Summary from IP Justice

16 Jun, 2008: Civil Society & Organized Labour Seoul Declaration (OECD Ministerial in Korea)
Framework for the Future of the Internet Economy. Freedom of Expression. Protection of Privacy and Transparency. Consumer Protection. Promotion of Access to Knowledge. Internet Governance. Promotion of Open Standards. Balanced Intellectual Property Policies. Internet Governance. ...

22 May, 2008: Leaked US Govt. Discussion Paper on Proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) from Wikileaks
Wikileaks today posted a leaked document from the US Government discussing the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA is a new multi-lateral trade agreement spearheaded by the US, European Union, Switzerland, Australia, and a select handful of other wealthy nations to create new international legal rules for the regulation of intellectual property rights. IP Justice submitted comments ...

1 May, 2008: Canadian Law Prof Michael Geist Submission on ACTA to Canadian Govt
"I begin by noting that it is difficult to provide meaningful feedback on a treaty that no one has publicly seen. However, with some public documents indicating that lobby groups hope to use the treaty to increase intermediary liability, force cross-border disclosure of Internet service provider subscriber information, and further advance the cause of anti-circumvention legislation, there is reason ...

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,” ...

30 Apr, 2008: CIPPIC Submission on ACTA to Canadian Government
The content of ACTA could have significant implications for Canada. Counterfeiting activity harms Canadian consumers and Canadian trade. All Canadians endorse the dedication of appropriate law-enforcement resources to addressing trade-debilitating commercial infringement. However, intellectual property policy equally touches on important policy frameworks governing innovation, privacy, security, trade, creativity and freedom of expression. Enthusiasm to address the harms legitimately attributed ...

25 Apr, 2008: 2008 USTR Special 301 Report (full report)
The “Special 301” Report is an annual review of the global state of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement, conducted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) pursuant to Special 301 provisions of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act). The 2008 Special 301 review process examined IPR protection and enforcement in 78 countries. ...

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 ...

20 Mar, 2008: Essential Action Comments to USTR on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)
The comments argue that background information on the treaty conflate the concepts of counterfeiting, "piracy" and infringement. "An agreement based on, or reflecting, such a conflation of distinct concepts is likely to be overly broad, proscribing behavior that cannot correctly be identified as counterfeiting and that is not necessarily detrimental to the public interest." As regards medicines, the proper focus ...

20 Mar, 2008: “UNESCO Policy Guidelines on the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information” (Paul Uhlir) 2004

18 Mar, 2008: Public-Interest Principles for the Networked Communications Environment
Why is Free Expression Important in an Information Society? The UK-based "Freedom of Expression Project" posted "Public Interest Principles for the Networked Communications Environment". The draft document provides useful analysis on the importance of freedom of expression, open standards, interoperability, respect for privacy, and balanced copyright law as key policy goals for a healthy and robust information society. ...

15 Mar, 2008: USTR - Special 301 Public Submissions 2008
Industry submissions to the USTR regarding its Special 301 list to recommend trade sanctions against foreign countries....

6 Mar, 2008: “Conceiving an International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright” (Hugenholtz, Okediji / March 2008)
"The task of developing a global approach to limitations and exceptions (“L&E’s”) is one of the major challenges facing the international copyright system today. As mechanisms of access, L&E’s contribute to the dissemination of knowledge, which in turn is essential for a variety of human activities and values, including liberty, the exercise of political power, and economic, social and personal advancement. ...

4 Mar, 2008: WIPO Development Agenda Proposals CDIP/1
Documents for discussion at the WIPO CDIP/1 Meeting in March 2008: (a) Preliminary Implementation Report with respect to the 19 proposals identified for immediate implementation by WIPO; and (b) Initial Working Document regarding the implementation of the 26 agreed proposals....