Convergence Law Institute | IP Switchboard


News Feeds
IP News This Week
	Weekly feed, from the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy at McGill Univ.
IP Newsflash
	IP headlines from around the world, updated hourly
Univ of MD news feed
	Subscribe-able list-serv for news and notices on IP
Government Resources
StopFakes – IP Help
	A list prepared by the Office of Intellectual Property Rights of the International Trade Administration of the Dept of Commerce response to answer the query “Who can help me protect my intellectual property rights?” It particularly useful for international, but it is also lists private organizations, and domestic agencies and organizations.
International Sites
IP Watch Links
	An awesome collection of links to international sources, including government IP offices, international organizations, NGOs, and journals.
Legal Academic Articles
Univ of Texas – Article List
	A continually updated list of recent legal articles on copyright. Contains first page of each article; purged after 60 days.
Blog Lists
BlawgIT
	Contains a list of 44 important patent blogs, as of Feb. 06, 2008.
List-Servs
Harold Wegner
	Harold Wagner, a DC patent lawyer, runs a list-serv on patent issues. To request it, email hwegner@foley.com.
Greg Aharonian
	Greg Aharonian, who operates Bust Patents, has a list-serv called PATNEWS. To request it, email patnews@ns1.patenting-art.com.

US GOVERNMENT: Administrative; Courts; Legislation; International Orgs.

TOP


Administrative
Commerce Dept
Patent & Trademark Office
	Responsible for patents; a subunit of the Dept of Commerce
StopFakes
	The Office of Intellectual Property Rights of the International Trade Administration of the DOC.
Copyright Office
	Responsible for copyrights; a subunit of the Library of Congress, which is actually part of the legislative branch. Contains the Copyright Royalty Board, overseas statutory licenses.
Federal Register
	Publisher of all regulations from federal agencies.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
	FTC is involved with the intersection of antitrust law & IP; with patent issues; and with consumer protection aspects of P2P file sharing programs.
Justice Dept
Antitrust Division
	Like the FTC, the Antitrust Division deals with the intersection of IP and antitrust.
Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section
	Part of the Criminal Division. Has a manual on prosecuting IP crime.
National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council (NIPLECC)
	Interagency council. Chaired by the Office of the IP Coordinator in DOC (StopFakes). Issues annual report.
State Dept
International Communication and Information Policy (CIP) group
	Part of the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. “leads the Executive Branch policy-development process for international communications and information issues.” Focus is on telecom and communication technologies, not IP.
Office of International Intellectual Property Enforcement (IPE)
	Part of the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. “promotes American and global innovation by advocating for the effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) around the world.”
Courts
US Supreme Court
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Legislative
US House of Reps – Comm. on the Judiciary, Subcomm. on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property
US House of Reps – Comm. on Energy & Commerce, Subcomm. on Telecommunications and the Internet
US Senate – Comm. on the Judiciary
Library of Congress - Thomas
	Bills, PublicLaws, Committee Reports, Congressional Record
Library of Congress – Intellectual Property Digital Library Database
	“Provides access to intellectual property data, including patents and trademarks, hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization”
Congressional Research Service
	CRS has prepared a few reports on IP
GovTrack.us
	Not a government site, but it tracks pending IP legislation
International Organizations
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
	“the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region . . . .the only inter governmental grouping in the world operating on the basis of non-binding commitments, open dialogue and equal respect for the views of all participants.”
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Trade Organization

Professional & Industry Associations – US; International

TOP


US
ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law
	“ABA voice of IP law within the profession, before policy makers, and with the public”
American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
	17,000 lawyers, representing both users and generators of IP
Americans for Competitive Technology
	“international grassroots advocacy and education organization representing more than 3000 small and mid-size information technology firms from around the world.” Closely connected to MSFT.
Association of American Publishers
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
	“trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. “
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
	“Intellectual property protection is the key factor for economic growth and advancement in the biotechnology sector.”
Coalition for Patent Fairness
	Coalition created to support (2007-2008) patent reform legislation. Members are large tech companies - Amazon.com, Apple, Autodesk, Business Software Alliance, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Dell, Electrolux, Google, HP, Information Technology Industry Council, Intel, Micron Technology Inc., Microsoft, Oracle, Palm Inc., RIM, SAP, Symantec, TechNet, Time Warner and Visa.
Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform
	Coalition created to modify (2007-2008) patent reform legislation. 40 global corporations including 3M, Caterpillar Inc., General Electric, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.
Chamber of Commerce of the US
	Search under Issues for Intellectual Property. Concerned with counterfeit goods as well as copyright and patent.
Copyright Advisory Network
	Run by the American Library Association. Copyright issues are important to libraries, which, because they view their mission as information dissemination, are hostile to any limitations thereon, such as copyright. CAN has basic materials on copyright, a forum, and links to other resources. The site is funded by MacArthur.
Copyright Alliance
	“copyright law promotes creativity and job creation and strengthens the U.S. economy. Those who create, render and publish copyrighted works, rely on the copyright law and its enforcement, for their creative and financial success.”
Copyright Society of the USA
	“dedicated to advancing the study of copyright law and related rights in literature, music, art, theater, motion pictures, television, computer software, architecture, and other works of authorship, distributed via both traditional and new media.”
Digital Media Association (DMA)
	Trade organization devoted primarily to the online audio and video industries,
Federalist Society
	Has some IP material, but hard to find. Use the search function. The most interesting stuff the international is by Prof. Mark Schultz – see Fed Soc listing below under International.
Entertainment Software Association
	Computer games.
Future of Music Coalition
	Says it is a “not-for-profit collaboration between members of the music, technology, public policy and intellectual property law communities.” But it was founded by a PR firm, and reveals nothing about its funding sources, so the real interests are opaque.
Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA)
	Trade association for the generic pharmaceutical industry
Innovation Alliance
	Coalition created to modify or kill proposed (2007-2008) patent reform legislation. Members are inventors, universities, and small patent-dependent businesses.
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
	Trade association for the motion picture industry
Music Publishers Association (MPA)
	Trade association for music publishers.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
	Some attention to IP issues
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
	Trade association for the IP-based pharmaceutical industry
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
	Trade association for the recording industry.
International
Business Software Alliance (BSA)
	“BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace.”
International Chamber of Commerce
International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys
	“world-wide organisation of intellectual property attorneys in private practice”
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA)
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)
	The international arm of the recording industry; based in London.
International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)
	Alliance of content companies.
International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI)
	“a not-for-profit . . . dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the use of intellectual property as a tool for economic growth, particularly in developing countries”

Foundations

TOP


MacArthur Foundation
	Makes grants in many areas, including IP. Important armory of the communitarian movement – propertarians are not welcome in this club.
National Academies
	The NAS cluster performs research on science, engineering, and medicine, usually on the dime of some federal agency, even though the academies themselves are private organizations. Searching for “intellectual property” produces 117 results. NAS work on patents is quite influential.

WEBSITES & BLOGS: IP Generally; Copyright; Patent; Tech w/Some IP

TOP


IP Generally
Blawg – Intellectual Property
	List of IP blogs
Daily Dose of IP
	Includes a monthly calendar and a search engine for Fed Cir cases
IPCentral.Info
	The Progress & Freedom Foundation’s IP site. Propertarian.
Copyright
American University Center for Social Media
	Website devoted to copyright and fair use issues in documentary films. Published Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use.
Boycott RIAA
	“Our mission is to represent the position of the consumers and of the independent music artists against this nearly completely foreign-owned cartel which exhibits behaviors indicative of deliberate and outright contempt for the law, and of those whose job is to enforce it.” Funding is not revealed.
Collecteana
	“Collected perspectives on copyright” from U of MD. Basically communitarian.
Compleat World Copyright Websight
	Links to works of some leading communitarian authors
Consumer Law & Policy Blog
	Public Citizen
Corante Copyfight
	Basic stance is communitarian -- copyright has gone too far and needs to be cut back. Many links to like-minded academics
Lawrence Lessig
	Larry Lessig has stopped working on IP and now devotes himself to “political corruption.” But IP entries remain in the archive.
Long Tail
	Based on Wired editor Chris Anderson’s book. Strongly “info want to be free.”
Music – Technology - Policy
	Lawyer Chris Castle’s take-no-prisoners defense of copyright
Patry Copyright Blog
	Patry is Senior Copyright Counsel to Google; former professor and government official
Scrivener’s Error
	“Law and reality in publishing — seldom the same thing — from the author's side of the slush pile,”
Wendy Seltzer
	Strongly communitarian
Patent
BlawgIT
	Contains a list of 44 important patent blogs, as of Feb. 06, 2008.
Bust Patents
	Site on Sec. 101 of the Patent Law, which defines the scope of patentability.
I/P Updates
	“News and Information for the Sophisticated Intellectual Property Practitioner”
Just a Patent Examiner
	The view from inside the beast
Overlawyered
	Focused on “Chronicling the high cost of our legal system.” Occasional entries on patent issues.
Patent Infringement Updates
Patent Pending
	Patents and the History of Technology (Nothing new since 11/07, though.)
Patent Prospector
	An open forum that “provides patent news, informed and practical information, opinion, and sassy entertainment, especially aspects relating to the life cycle of patents.”
Patent Troll Tracker
	“A look behind the curtain at the people or organizations behind the many patent lawsuits brought by corporations that make or sell no goods or services”
PatentlyO
	Excellent site for keeping up with all patent-related developments – cases; legislation; events. Prints essays on occasion.
Patenting Art & Entertainment
	Greg Aharonian looks at the use of patents instead of copyrights for creative content.
Peer to Peer Patent Project
	Community peer review of patents
PHOSITA
	“intellectual property information, news and advice that is of interest to the PHOSITA in all of us.”
Promote the Progress
Public Patent Foundation
	Attacks patents as defective, before USPTO and in court. Closely connected to the FOSS movement.
271 Patent Blog
	“patent law, the PTO, and everything else”
Tech with Some IP
Act Online
	The blog of Americans for Competitive Technology. Usually reviews each day some of the news stories of interest to the tech world.
Between the Lines
	One of ZD Net’s blogs; hits on IP occasionally.
Big Tech (Fortune)
	“Covering the digital giants”
Freedom to Tinker
	Ed Felton’s site
Free State Foundation
	Telecom issues, which overlap with IP to some degree.
Google Public Policy Blog
Internet Caucus Advisory Committee
	“hosts regular events and forums for policymakers, the press, and the public to discuss important Internet-related policy issues,” including IP issues.
NCTA Tech Talk
Politech
	“Politech is the oldest Internet resource devoted to politics and technology. Launched in 1994, the Politech mailing list has chronicled the growing intersection of law, culture, technology, and politics.” Also has a list-serv.
Rough Type
	Blog of tech expert Nicholas Carr. Comments often on business organization issues, including the “sharecropping” nature of much of Web 2.0.
Tech Liberation Front
	IP is from point of view of anti-IP Libertarians. Dominated by Cato Institute.
The 463: Inside Tech Policy
Tech Policy Central
	“for anyone who has an interest in better understanding how government policies impact, or stand to impact, technology innovation and adoption.”
Truth on the Market
	Academic commentary on law, business, economics and more

Academic/Advocacy Institutions & Groups – US & International

TOP


	No line exists between academia and advocacy in the IP world. A few purely scholarly enterprises exist, but most academic institutions are advocates for the “communitarian” view that IP rights need to be substantially reduced in the light of new technologies, and that production mechanisms based on peer-to-peer sharing are, and should be, supplanting market-based mechanisms. A few are “propertarian,” maintaining the view that property rights provide the best mechanism for organizing productive activity. Non-academic institutions are similarly split. Of course, there are vast differences in degree within the categories, from slight tilts in one direction to all-out advocacy. And advocacy is not inconsistent with honest analysis. The most scholarly work is done in connection with patents, by people who take the fundamentals of the current patent systems as a given, and analyze possible adjustments.
United States
American Enterprise Institute
	AEI is the biggest of the DC market-oriented think tanks. IP is not a major interest, but it has some publications on patent issues, often directed at international pharma issues, and has held some good IP programs. Use the search function.
Aspen Institute Program on Communications & Society
	“convenes leaders in the areas of information and communication for roundtable discussions to explore the political, economic, and societal impact of communications and information infrastructures. It also promotes research and distributes conference reports.”
Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
	Mission: “to foster beneficial and ethical advancement of technology by promoting the understanding and guiding the development of intellectual property and related fields of law and policy as they intersect with business, science and technology.” Quite even-handed in its approach, with profs on both sides of the divide.
Berkman Center for Internet & Society
	Harvard’s contribution to the communitarian movement.
Brookings Institution
	The oldest of the DC think tanks. IP is not a major interest, but it publishes occasionally on the topic. Use the search engine. Its orientation is IP-skeptic, and particularly hostile to software patents.
Cato Institute
	Represents the anti-IP wing of Libertarian thinking
Center for Advanced Study & Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP)
	Run by three law profs at the Univ. of Washington. An “independent research and policy development institute focusing on problems in patents and other property ownership rights in high technology.”
Center for Democracy & Technology
	Maintains a section on Digital Copyright
Center for Internet & Society
	A Stanford program that “provides law students and the general public with educational resources and analyses of policy issues arising at the intersection of law, technology and the public interest.
Creative Commons
	The interesting initiative to allow creators to utilize the copyright system for communitarian ends, by establishing a set of standard licenses by which creators specify what uses of their work are allowed for free and what must be paid for.
Discovery Institute
	The Technology & Democracy Project deals with tech, telecom, and IP.
Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain
	Duke’s contribution to the communitarian movement.
Eagle Forum
	“Family Values” site that sides with the communitarians on P2P, but is strongly propertarian on patent reform issues.
Electronic Frontier Foundation
	Opposes all controls on the Internet, which makes it a mixed bag of the useful and the silly. Very anti-IP, though it also claims that creators should get paid. Useful for its links to cases, briefs, and other material.
Richard Epstein
	The nation’s leading propertarian scholar; a one-man think tank.
High Tech Law Institute
	Santa Clara Law School. Includes a tech law forum, and a blog by Prof. Eric Goldman.
Michael Geist
	Canadian law prof on IP & tech
Information Society Project
	Yale’s contribution to the communitarian movement. Also claims ownership of A2K.
Institute for the Future of the Book
	“a small think-and-do tank investigating the evolution of intellectual discourse as it shifts from printed pages to networked screens,” affiliated with USC. MacArthur funded.
Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI)
	“A key to economic growth is participating in functioning markets, and markets do not function without property protection. Indeed, markets are created and facilitated by property rights.”
Intellectual Property Institute at the University of Richmond School of Law.
	Mission: “to establish and maintain a dynamic and respected center for the study of contemporary [IP] issues, to increase the curricular and other learning opportunities available to law students interested in [IP] law, and to encourage widespread awareness and understanding of the role that [IP] plays in creating a creative and innovative culture.”
Stan Liebowitz
	Analyses of copyright & file sharing issues. Plus materials for his course on Economics of Information Goods.
Progress & Freedom Foundation – IP Central
	Operates a blog and website that supports IP. Funded by content companies and telecom.
Project on Commercializing Innovation
	A Hoover Institution enterprise to “explore the ways in which property rights and private ordering can promote enterprise, research and development, competition, economic growth, and capital formation.”
Property Rights Alliance
	Supports both tangible property rights and intangible, such as IP. Publishes an annual Index of International Property Rights.
Public Knowledge
	“public interest group working to defend citizens’ rights in the emerging digital culture.” Strongly communitarian.
Reg-Markets.org
	A center at the AEI – heir to the defunct AEI-Brookings Joint Center on Regulation. Covers many regulatory issues, including, on occasion, IP.
Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)
	Coalition run by the Association of Research Libraries, “its pragmatic focus is to stimulate the emergence of new scholarly communication models that expand the dissemination of scholarly research and reduce financial pressures on libraries.” In other words, to find substitutes for high-priced academic journals. SPARC has several related groups, including the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, the Information Access Alliance, and Create Change; the differences between them are unclear.
International
Centre for the New Europe (CNE) - IP
	IP blog of the Centre for the New Europe
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
	Research & analysis on international issues. Does some useful IP work -- look under the Technology & Public Policy Program.
Essential Innovation
	“a new international forum for serious discussions regarding protection of intellectual property rights to advance research, development and innovation. The forum is comprised of the international creative class - the people actually creating products and services that save lives and make our lives better - focused on protecting rights for innovation.” Focuses on health and medicine.
Federalist Society Empowerment Agenda
	Excellent explication of the propertarian view of economic development, drafted by Prof. Mark Schultz. See also his reports from the 2007 WIPO meetings.
Institute for Trade, Standards & Sustainable Development (ITSSD)
	“we emphasize the importance of economic growth, free markets, the rule of law, strong intellectual property rights, scientific discovery, technological innovation, and the establishment of balanced, science-based and cost-effective national regulatory and standards systems.”
IP-Institute.org.uk
	“to promote awareness and understanding of intellectual property law, and its contribution to economic and social welfare, through high quality, independent research. . . . membership comprises major corporations, law firms, the Patent Office, individual legal professionals and students.”
IP::Jur
	Blog maintained by patent practitioner in Germany
IP Justice
	“focus is on international treaties, directives, and other trade agreements that address intellectual property rights or impact freedom of expression guarantees”
IPKat
	“copyright, patent, trade mark and privacy/confidentiality issues from a mainly UK and European perspective.”
IP Watch
	“reports on the interests and behind-the-scenes dynamics that influence the design and implementation of international intellectual property policies.” It is funded largely by George Soros interests, and it resolutely communitarian and IP-skeptical.
International Association for Protection of Intellectual Property (aippa)
	“the world's leading International Organization dedicated to the development and improvement of intellectual property. . . politically neutral, non-profit organization, domiciled in Switzerland . . . 8000 Members representing more than 100 countries.”
iPeg
	“highlights what is going on in Europe in patent law, technology, R&D and innovation development
Judicial Protection of IPR in China
	“This Web site provides latest laws and regulations and judicial interpretations, especially IP laws and regulations, Interpretations of IP laws of the China Supreme People's Court, typical IP law cases, latest IP law research articles and latest developed foreign IP law theories. It also has information of introduction to Chinese courts system.” It is sponsored by IP judges, including the Chief Judge of the IPR Tribunal, Supreme People’s Court of China.
Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
	“KEI is an organization that searches for better outcomes, including new solutions, to the management of knowledge resources.” “We are just now learning about the opportunities to manage knowledge resources in ways that are more efficient, more fair, and responsive to human needs.” Basically opposed to IP, especially in the pharmaceutical area. Heavily supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Maintains several blogs and list-servs. See also: Consumer Project on Technology, apparently a part of KEI, which is connected with the Access to Knowledge (A2K) project and the Access to Medical Technologies project.
Spicy IP
	IP news from India
South Center
	Subtitle: “an Intergovernmental Organization of Developing Countries.” Connected to the Access to Knowledge (A2K) communitarians.
Stockholm Network
	“Europe's only dedicated service organisation for market-oriented think tanks and thinkers.” Pays a lot of attention to IP issues, particularly pharma.

Media

TOP


Ars Technica
	At Ars Technica—the name is Latin-derived for the "art of technology"—we specialize in original news and reviews, analysis of technology trends, and expert advice on topics ranging from the most fundamental aspects of technology to the many ways technology is helping us enjoy our world. We work for the reader who not only needs to keep up on technology, but is passionate about it.
Baseline
Columnists
•	Robert Cringely
•	John Dvorak
C\|Net News.com
DRM Watch
eWeek
Information Week
InfoWorld
IP Frontline
IP Law & Business
Technology Review
	MIT’s high brow tech journal
Wired
	On IP – very much of the school of “information want to be free and the prices of everything should be zero.”
ZD Net

Law Journals

TOP


FindLaw List
	FindLaw is a prominent site for legal info. Useful for accessing all kinds of legal material, especially cases.
Univ of Texas – Article List
	Many of the multitudinous publications and blogs on investments and the stock market touch on IP issues, but it is not possible to separate IP from tech generally. These will be included in the Resources section of the Convergence Law Institute website.

Litigation/Legal Clinics

TOP


Center for Internet & Society (CIS) Fair Use Project
	Connected with Stanford; litigates to “clarify” (i.e., extend, usually) the boundaries of fair use. Heavily supported by Google.
Glushko-Samuelson IP Law Clinic
	Part of American Univ in Washington, DC. “represents individual creators and users of intellectual property, small businesses and communities of rights-holders and consumers, not-for-profit institution and associations, and other entities”
Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic
	At UCal Berkeley. “Since January 2001, students participating in the Clinic have worked with leading lawyers in nonprofit organizations, government, private practice, and academia to represent clients on a broad range of legal matters including free speech, privacy copyright, and open source.”

Trademark

TOP


International Trademark Association (INTA)
Trademark Blog
TTABlog
	TTAB = Trademark Trial & Appeal Board
Likelihood of Confusion
	“The question of LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION is the signal test to determine if trademark infringement claim is valid. This blog is about trademark and copyright law, free speech mostly as it relates to the Internet and legal issues related to blogging.”

Domain Names

TOP


Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

Particular Industries

TOP


Games
Law of the Game
	Video games, gambling, and other legal discussions
Patent Arcade
	Specializes in video game IP law
Pharma
Law Under the Microscope
	“News, updates and ruminations on legal and regulatory developments related to the life sciences, bioagriculture and nanotechnology”
Orange Book Blog
	Intersection of patent and food-drug law
Patent Baristas
	“Freshly brewed bio/pharma chat”
Patent Docs
	Biotech and Pharma Patent Law & News
Software/Open Source
Free Software Foundation (FSF)
	The St. Peter’s Cathedral of the open-source-as-a-moral-imperative wing of the FOSS movement
Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)
Groklaw
	News stories and discussions in support of the FOSS movement (Free & Open Source Software). Site contains no info on who runs it.
Initiative for Software Choice
	“a global initiative promoting neutral government procurement, standards and public R&D policies for software” An initiative of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
Linux Foundation
	Devoted to supporting Linux; supported by companies that use or provide complements, including such giants as IBM, Nokia, Google.
Jason Matusow
	Blog by Microsoft’s Director of Shared Source
Microsoft Shared Source Initiative
	Microsoft’s efforts to open up code without losing control of it.
Open Source Initiative
	“non-profit corporation formed to educate about and advocate for the benefits of open source and to build bridges among different constituencies in the open-source community.” OSI maintains the official list of software entitled to brand itself as “open source.”
Open Source Software Institute
	“mission is to promote the development and implementation of open-source software solutions within U.S. federal, state and municipal government agencies and academic entities.”Membership is divided into three categories – corporate; government; academic – but the names of the members are secret. HP and Sun are listed as key sponsors.
Software Freedom Law Center
	The legal arm of the FSF
SlashDot
	“News for nerds; stuff that matters.” Discussion site for the angry nerd herd.