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Toward Intellectual Property Education
by Winter Casey
The World Intellectual Property Organization and Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) have joined forces to develop an interactive multimedia tool on intellectual property geared toward small and medium-sized enterprises.
The project, known as the Intellectual Property Panorama, is scheduled for completion by December 2006. It will include information on patents, trade secrets, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights, patent information, marketing, licensing, e-commerce and intellectual property rights.
"This interactive multimedia content should prove to be a versatile educational tool that would also be suitable for use in e-learning programs for owners, managers and key employees of companies, in particular in small and medium-sized enterprises, in developing countries," WIPO Director General Kamil Idris said in a statement.
KIPO Commissioner Kim Jong-Kap said the project will prove especially beneficial for South Korean enterprises that are exporting or licensing intellectual property assets in foreign markets. The tool will be specifically tailored to show businesses how to use intellectual property to boost their competitiveness and profits.
Idris also met last week with Jose Luis Machinea, the executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, to discuss intellectual property issues.
The two organizations reached a formal agreement in April 2004 to promote intellectual property as a tool for development in Latin American and the Caribbean. The groups said they hope to raise awareness about IP issues among the region's top policymakers. During the meeting, the leaders agreed to host a policy forum in 2005 on IP success in the developing world.
WIPO and the commission further plan to review the factors relating to technology management, intellectual property and economic development. The groups also plan to continue to support high-level training courses on technology management and intellectual property.
Tech Group Lobbies Secretary Of State
Americans for Technology Leadership has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice emphasizing the importance of protecting intellectual property rights overseas and urging continued vigilance on the issue.
"Few issues demand greater attention in international trade and diplomatic discussions than the appropriate protections for intellectual property developed by all companies in all countries," wrote James Prendergast, the group's executive director.
While praising Rice's comments during her confirmation hearings about the importance of protecting intellectual property, Prendergast also said, "Under your leadership, I hope the Department of State will continue working with others in the [Bush] administration to lead the fight against piracy and to put pressure on those foreign governments who would serve as enablers of intellectual property thieves."
He noted that the United States "has tremendous leverage across the globe and we need to use that leverage to encourage countries like China and Russia, among others, to respect intellectual property rights and enforce laws to protect it."
Britain Promotes IT Security Awareness
Britain has launched a Web site aimed at helping home-computer users and small businesses to protect themselves from online threats.
The site is funded by the government and uses information from the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Center. The service offers free advice on the dangers of the Internet and provides virus and other threat alerts to help combat cyber crime.
Elsewhere in Europe, an independent advisory body on data protection and privacy has released a report on the role of data-protection officials in the European Union. The report found that "data subjects were not sufficiently aware" of a notification system that lets any entity "verify the processing operations carried out in a given country by a given controller."
The second meeting to prepare for the Tunis, Tunisia, phase of the World Summit on the Information Society this year also concluded last week, with decisions made on where financial resources need to be spent in order to meet the challenges of information technologies.
Participants said resources need to be used to link networks across borders in poor regions, offer affordable Internet access, and take advantage of technology for health, education and the environment. The group emphasized the importance of private-sector investment.
Chinese Telecom Firm Eyes Kenya As Gateway
The China-based telecommunications equipment giant ZTE Communications plans to use Kenya as a business gateway to the East African region, The Nation reports.
After closing deals in Kenya to provide telecom services, the company would like to expand into Burundi, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. "We have realized that it is easy for African countries to accept China-based firms and technology," said Hesse Dong, ZTE's general manager for East Africa.
In other news, Barbados Nation Online reports that the telecom giant Cable & Wireless has surrendered its exclusive international telecom license as part of the third phase in the government's telecom liberalization process, which began in 2000.
According to Daniel Erikson, a director at the Washington think tank Inter-American Dialogue, Barbados is at the forefront of change within the Caribbean in terms of welcoming foreign investment and expanding its markets outside traditional mineral and tourism venues.
Hong King Declares War On Spam
Hong Kong Commerce, Industry and Technology Secretary John Tsang has declared war on spam, calling unsolicited e-mail an "epidemic," Agence France-Presse reports.
According to Tsang, spam e-mails cost Hong Kong $770 million last year in lost productivity. "A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association found that spam had risen to account for around 60 percent of all e-mails, with individual members experiencing as much as 90 percent of their e-mails being spam," Tsang said.
The government plans to fight back with legislation, public education and technology aimed at curbing spam.
Also in Asia, Vietnam is expected to issue an extensive e-transaction law by the end of 2005, Thanhnien News reports. The draft law will provide a legal framework for online transactions by state organizations, businesses and individuals.
According to the VNEconomic newspaper, the law will cover electronic documentation, e-signatures, electronic notarization, cyber security, intellectual property, copyright protection, Internet addresses and the state management of e-transactions.
"We are waiting for the law to take effect, as the law will ensure that e-signatures are accepted as real signatures and computer documents are recognized as equivalent to facsimiles and telex," said Duong Anh Duc, general director of Vnet Shareholding.
Canada Considers New Wiretapping Rules
Many Canadian technology companies could be hit hard if they fail to comply with wiretapping rules currently being considered by the federal government, the Toronto Star reports.
The paper said officers and directors of telecom service providers could be fined as much as $500,000 and face up to five years in prison for violating the proposed rules. In addition, service providers could have their companies closed for violating the proposed rules.
"There will be some people in the industry who argue this takes it a little too far," said Kirsten Embree, a lawyer with Fraser Milner Casgrain's communications law practice.
The government argues that wiretapping rules are necessary for Canada to move ahead with international cyber-crime initiatives and keep pace with technological advancements.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has lobbied for passage of the rules, saying they are necessary for public safety.
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