http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2025/01/saturday-sundries.html
It’s a new year and a fresh start to IP news, events and opportunities.
IPKat reminders
Katcall: Openings for GuestKats and InternKats!
The deadline for submissions to the openings for GuestKat and InternKat positions (as announced here) is approaching. Those interested must submit their complete applications no later than Monday, 20 January (midnight GMT). GuestKats and InternKats will start in February 2025. Apply here for a GuestKat and here for an InternKat position.
IPKat Book of the Year Awards 2024.
The deadline for submissions to the IPKat Book of the Year awards is 31 January 2025. Vote here for your favourite books in the categories of patents, copyright (incl., related rights, performers’ rights), trade marks (incl., geographical indications), designs, best foreign language/non-English IP book and IP in general (books covering diverse IP rights). Winners will be announced in February 2025. More information here.
Events
Geographical Indications Conference ‘Safeguarding our Heritage, Cultivating our Future’ and photography exhibition.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), will hold the Geographical Indications (GI) Conference ‘Safeguarding our Heritage, Cultivating our Future’. The hybrid event will take place on 28 and 29 January 2025 and will address the latest developments and challenges in geographical indications for craft and agricultural products. Registrations for online participation are still available here, free of charge. A photography exhibition showcasing the stories behind iconic products will also be available at Espacio Séneca in Alicante. Further details on the conference here.
EPIP Annual Conference 2025.
The University of Antwerp (Belgium) will host the 2025 Annual Conference of EPIP (European Policy for Intellectual Property Association) from 10 to 12 September 2025. The theme’s conference is ‘Turning IP Ambitions into Action: Creating Connections, Collaborations and Communities’. The programme inter alia will address the impact of new technologies on IP law; the role of IP in stimulating sustainable innovation; crafts, IP and cultural heritage. More information here.
Opportunities
Call for submissions to WIPO Magazine on Music and IP.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is seeking submissions for a special issue of the WIPO Magazine. The edition will address IP issues affecting the global music industry and local scenes, best IP practices touching on collective management of IP rights, and emerging challenges related to the music industry and IP. Pitches should be clear, concise, engaging, in English and no more than 500 words. The deadline for submissions is 26 January 2025. Further details here.
Call for submissions to issue 3/2025 of JLMI.
The Journal of Law, Market & Innovation (JLMI), a joint initiative of the Turin Observatory on Economic Law and Innovation and the Master’s in International Trade Law, is calling for papers for its third issue, which will be dedicated to ‘Regulatory Initiatives on Ecodesign and Sustainable Products’. The call welcomes contributions that explore the legal frameworks, opportunities and challenges related to the topic, including the intersection of IP rights with eco-design, considerations for protecting eco-friendly innovations, and the challenges businesses face in this domain. More information here.
Other developments
USPTO announced a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and new FAQs on Inventorship Guidance for AI-assisted Inventions.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new AI Strategy that outlines how the agency will address the impact of AI on IP policy, USPTO operations, and the IP ecosystem. The strategy aims to achieve the USPTO’s AI vision through five focus areas, which include advancing the development of IP policies that promote inclusive AI innovation and creativity; building best-in-class AI capabilities; promoting responsible use of AI; developing AI expertise within USPTO; and collaborating with other U.S. government agencies, international partners and the public on shared AI priorities. The full text of the AI strategy is available here, and further details are here. USPTO also released new FAQs on Inventorship Guidance for AI-assisted Inventions, providing more information for examiners and stakeholders regarding inventorship analysis. Review the new FAQs here.
EUIPO-EPO’s report ‘Intellectual property rights and firm performance in the European Union’.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO) released the report ‘Intellectual property rights and firm performance in the European Union’. The report highlights how IP rights drive business success, competitiveness, wage growth and innovation. Review the report here.
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