Never Too Late: If you missed the IPKat Last Week!

Been away and want to catch up with last week's IP news? No problem! As always, the IPKat is here to bring you a quick summary, here’s the 163^rd edition of Never Too Late.

Quenching my thirst for the latest IP info!

Coase (with help from Grossman and Hart), transaction costs and IP

Neil considers that one way to view the discussion set out by Sanford Grossman and Oliver Hart in their 1986 article, "The Costs and Benefits of Ownership: A Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration" is to ask: when should one contract with a supplier for a good or service and when should one vertically integrate it by acquisition? He considers how, in addressing this questions, they treat IP matters quite differently. 

UPDATE: Complainant against UPC ratification in Germany confirmed as Ingve Stjerna

It has been confirmed that the complainant who filed the constitutional complaint against the ratification of the UPC Agreement in Germany was the attorney Ingve Stjerna. Stjerna has long been a vocal critic of the Unified Patent Court, and the complaint reflects some of his earlier criticisms.

Brexit: European Commission publishes guiding principles on Intellectual Property

The European Commission has set out its principles for the political dialogue on intellectual property (and various other issues including the use of data) in the Brexit negotiations.

Neptune’s kitchen designs infringed? No, the DeVOL is in the detail

Katfriend Darren Meale provides an analysis of a recent decision relating to UK unregistered design rights (UKUDR): Neptune v DeVOL Kitchens [2017] EWHC 2172. In particular, he notes that as well as giving a clear illustration of a UKUDR in action, the case also firmly answers an important question about the scope of UKUDR following the amendment of the law in 2014.

AG Szpunar advises CJEU on cloud-based recording and private copying exception

Advocate General (AG) Szpunar has provided his Opinion in relation to VCAST Limited v R.T.I. SpA, C-265/16, a the reference for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) from the Turin Court of First Instance. The AG affirmed that EU law prohibits a commercial undertaking from providing private individuals with cloud computing services for the remote video recording of private copies of works protected by copyright.

Br*x*t and Brands – 568 days and counting – the EU’s position

Katfriend Darren Meale follows up on Kat Rosie’s announcement that the European Commission had set out its principles for the political dialogue on intellectual property in the Brexit negotiations. He explains the EU Commissions position and how that measures up against the UK’s position.

6th Global Forum on Intellectual Property: Ideas to Assets (part 1)

Neil reports on the 6^th Annual Singapore IP Week event organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, IP Academy, IPOS-International and IP ValueLab. With 3,000 participants taking part in various programs, the highlight event was the two-day Global Forum on Intellectual Property: Ideas to Assets.

Mark your calendars: Design Law Reform Conference in Singapore!

On September 19th and 20th, the National University of Singapore will host the Design Law Reform Conference at its Bukit Timah Campus, the conference will discuss the current state of play of design protection at national and international levels.

Plus our weekly round-up posts: Friday Fantasies and Around the IP Blogs.

PREVIOUSLY ON NEVER TOO LATE

Never Too Late 162 [week ending Sunday 27 August] Book Review: Economics of the Internet I France: "Photoshop decree" coming up soon I Is there a role for the tort of unlawful means in patent law? I Around the IP blogs!

Never Too Late 161 [week ending Sunday 20 August]  Italian Supreme Court issues groundbreaking decision on punitive damages, opening the door for IP claims | TILTing Perspectives 2017 | Freedom of panorama in Portugal: content and scope of the exception | When "mayo" is not mayonnaise, yet still is mayonnaise: All a matter of the label? | Friday Fantasies

Never Too Late 160 [week ending Sunday 13 August] Scottish court “vaporized” trade mark invalidity appeal | Battle of the free trade mark databases – Global Brand Database versus TMview | An Improved Improver? - Part 3. | Netflix weather report: sunny today, possibility of rain clouds tomorrow? | Roger in troubled Waters 

Never Too Late 159 [week ending Sunday 6 August] Cross-undertaking in damages - Napp Pharmaceuticals v Sandoz Limited | In memoriam of June Foray: the greatest screen voice whom you probably never heard of, but likely heard | UK Supreme Court holds that grey market sales can be criminal offence | New administrative notice-and-takedown procedure in Greece | Are you XKING kidding me? Making sense of trade mark conflict in the EUTM system | The challenge of protecting a database without a sui generis right, this time from Singapore | France: costs of blocking injunctions to be borne by internet intermediaries | INTA Trademark Administrators and Practitioners Meeting--early bird registration ends August 4th | TILTing Perspectives 2017 (First Part: Online Enforcement and Black Box Tinkering) | France: 13 million in damages awarded for linking to downloadable copyright works | Monday Miscellany, Sunday Surprises

Photo credit: wabisabi2015