Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Climate Change And Human Rights: Intellectual Property Challenges And Opportunities, Alexandra Phelan

Matthew Rimmer

Mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change will require innovation and the development of new technologies. Intellectual property laws have a key part to play in the global transfer of climate technologies. However, failures to properly utilize flexibilities in intellectual property regimes or comply with technology transfer obligations under international climate change agreements calls for a human rights based analysis of climate technology transfer. Climate change is an unprecedented challenge and requires unprecedented strategies. Given the substantial impact of climate change on all of humanity and the ethical imperative to act, a complete rethink of traditional intellectual property …

Owning The New Economy: A Guide To Intellectual Property Management For Australia's Clean Technology Sector, Kane Wishart

Matthew Rimmer

Australia's history of developing and managing the intellectual property rights of domestic innovations is – at best – mixed. The relevant immaturity of Australia's public sector commercialisation infrastructure has, over recent decades, been the subject of both stinging academic commentary and not insubstantial juridical disbelief. That said, improvements have been observed, and increasingly, private sector involvement in public sector innovation has allowed for a deepening refinement of domestic approaches to IP retention and ongoing management. Rather than a bare critique of Australia's IP management track-record, or a call for specific law reform, this manual engages at a more practical level …

A Supplementary Submission On Trojan Horse Clauses: Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Executive Summary This supplementary submission considers a number of new developments in Investor-State Dispute Settlement in Canada, North America, the European Union, and Africa. This supplementary submission highlights the application of Investor-State Dispute Settlement in the context of water rights, intellectual property, and media regulation. This supplementary submission also highlights the conflict between domestic courts and international tribunals in Investor-State Dispute Settlement, raising significant issues about the rule of law and justice. Recommendation 14 In light of the work of Maude Barlow and the Council of Canadians, it is evident that Investor-State Dispute Settlement has a significant impact upon water …

A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Kafta), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Australia and South Korea have signed a new free trade agreement - the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA). Is it a fair trade fairytale? Or is it a dirty deal done dirt cheap? Or somewhere in between? It is hard to tell, given the initial secrecy of the negotiations, and the complexity of the texts of the agreement There has been much debate in Parliament over the transparency of the trade agreement; the scope of market access provided under the deal; the impact of the investment chapter, with its investor-state dispute settlement clause; the intellectual property chapter; the environment chapter; …

Trojan Horse Clauses: Investor-State Dispute Settlement. A Submission To The Australian Parliament., Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

‘The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) proposes to freeze into a binding trade agreement many of the worst features of the worst laws in the TPP countries, making needed reforms extremely difficult if not impossible. The investor state dispute resolution mechanisms should not be shrouded in mystery to the general public, while the same provisions are routinely discussed with advisors to big corporations.’ Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics

‘Investment arbitration as currently constituted is not a fair, independent, and balanced method for the resolution of disputes between sovereign nations and private investors.’ Retired Justice Elizabeth Evatt and leading jurists

‘Opening …

Intellectual Property Policy, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement 2011 (#Acta), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

“If Hollywood could order intellectual property laws for Christmas, what would they look like? This is pretty close.” David Fewer“While European and American IP maximalists have pushed for TRIPS-Plus provisions in FTAs and bilateral agreements, they are now pushing for TRIPS-Plus-Plus protections in these various forums.” Susan Sell“ACTA is a threat to the future of a free and open Internet.” Alexander Furnas“Implementing the agreement could open a Pandora's box of potential human rights violations.” Amnesty International.“I will not take part in this masquerade.” Kader Arif, Rapporteur for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement 2011 in the European ParliamentExecutive SummaryAs an independent scholar …

The Copenhagen Accord And Climate Innovation Centres, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

After much hue and cry, the Copenhagen negotiations over intellectual property and climate change ended in a stalemate and an impasse. There was a gulf between the views of intellectual property maximalists who demanded strong protection of intellectual property rights in respect of clean technologies; and nation states and civil society groups calling for special measures to facilitate technology transfer. As a result, the Copenhagen Accord did contain any text on intellectual property and climate change. Nonetheless, the Copenhagen Accord does, though, contain an important compromise. The text provides for a technology mechanism, which envisages a network of Climate Innovation …

Ip Policy Void In The 'Grand Climate Bargain', Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

In September, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd emphasized the need for national and global action on climate change and called for “a grand bargain” between “the developed world and the developing world in order to reach an outcome for the planet earth as a whole”.No doubt, action on climate change will need new technology, which most likely will be predominately developed in a few, innovative countries. It is also clear, however, that if this ‘grand bargain’ is to be more than a wistful hope we need appropriate intellectual property rights in place for these new technological developments.The chairs of the Ad …

The Road To Copenhagen: Intellectual Property And Climate Change, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

The draft negotiating text on long-term co-operative action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change FCCC/AWGLCA/2009/8; the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 HR 2410 (United States); the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 HR 2454 (United States); the Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act 2010 HR. 3081 (United States); and the TRIPS Agreement 1994.In the lead-up to the discussions over IP and climate change in Copenhagen in 2009, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution that it should be the policy of US government officials in discussions over the long-term …

A Submission To The Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry Into Gene Patents, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

I am a senior lecturer and the associate director for research at the Australian National University College of Law based in Canberra, Australia. I am also an associate director of the Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (ACIPA). I have a BA (Hons) and a University Medal in literature, and a LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University, and a PhD in law from the University of New South Wales. I am a member of the Copyright and Intellectual Property Advisory Group of the Australian Library and Information Association, and a director of the Australian Digital Alliance. I am …