Friday fantasies

Around the weblogs. The MARQUES Class 46 blog mentions a call from the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) for an industrial self-regulation scheme for reducing misleading and brand-damaging advertisements from the digital advertising ecosystem; picking up on this, the MARQUES LinkedIn Group wonders how relevant the ICC is: opinions are welcomed. The 1709 Blog's latest sidebar poll, on protecting works by subject-matter categories, has got off to a slow start, but it's open till 6 April so you're not too late to participate. Another blog that has just been drawn to the IPKat's attention belongs to Ideas Matter, which is a consortium of cross-sector enterprises that seeks to promote the benefits of intellectual property: you can see a list of members, here, which gives a fairly good idea of what you might expect to find in it.

Fakes in Italy: good news.  From the IPKat's friends at Modiano & Partners comes news via the Italian Ministry of Economic Development that new members have now been appointed to the National Anti-Counterfeiting Council (CNAC), which includes representatives of law enforcement, producers, consumer groups and no fewer than 11 Ministers. This Kat learns that the CNAC can be an effective tool, in that it is a single body combining all the forces that combat the serious problem of counterfeiting every day. Its duties are based on an Anti-Counterfeiting Plan that was agreed at the Italian Convention on the Fight against Counterfeiting. Good news, though Merpel warns that there have been many instances of good news in the fight against counterfeiting, but they are often like waves in the sea which, while apparently huge when viewed from the distance, are no more than ripples by the time they reach the shore.

Fire in the blood. From London-based IP scholar Siva Thambisetty comes news of a free film screening of 'Fire in the Blood' next Thursday, 20 March 2014, in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE. Doors open at 6 pm and the screening is from 7.30 pm – 8.15 pm, followed by a question and answer session with Chairman of Cipla, Dr Yusuf Hamied. Says Siva, this event is free and open to all with no ticket required Entry is on a first come, first served basis: for any queries email law.events@lse.ac.uk or call +44 20 7955 7687. 

The film is described as "an intricate tale of 'medicine, monopoly and malice', ... of how Western pharmaceutical companies and governments aggressively blocked access to low-cost AIDS drugs for the countries of Africa and the global south in the years after 1996 -- causing ten million or more unnecessary deaths – and the improbable group of people who decided to fight back. Shot on four continents and including contributions from global figures such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu and Joseph Stiglitz, Fire in the Blood is the never-before-told true story of the remarkable coalition which came together to stop 'the Crime of the Century' and save millions of lives in the process. As the film makes clear, however, this story is by no means over. With dramatic past victories having given way to serious setbacks engineered far from public view, the real fight for access to life-saving medicine is almost certainly just beginning".

This Kat, who has not seen the film, is curious to know what readers of this weblog think of it.

Enjoy the agreeable intimacy of a round table. There's an INTA Europe Roundtable on Trade Mark Licensing coming up soon, on Thursday 3 April 2014 in the Amsterdam office of Simmons & Simmons. It will run from 14:30 – 17:30 pm, followed by drinks in the host firm's bar).  This event claims that "attendees will be taught how to draft trade mark licence agreements" and the Roundtable will be led by Willem Wiggers (founder of WeAgree, a company specialised in accelerated contract drafting), Michael Gavey and Class 99 blogger Hidde Koenraad (both of Simmons & Simmons)  There is no admission fee, but you've got to register first. Details are available here.