Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. Harmonising national penal codes? Despite a whole range of rules on the protection of intellectual property, counterfeiting and piracy have continued to grow in the world because offenders have the possibility of making substantial profits without risking any serious legal penalties. In July 2005, the Commission presented a double proposal for a directive and a Council framework decision aimed at introducing criminal sanctions for IPR infringements. The proposal was redrafted in April 2006, to take into account a judgment by the Court , dating from 13 September 2005, which holds that the EU has powers to harmonise member states' criminal law, if required for the effective implementation of Community law (see Communication COM/2005/0583 final ).
If adopted, the Directive would be the first ever to harmonise member states' criminal law. Getting the punishment right The proposal revives measures set out by the Commission in its initial draft. United States Patent and Trademark Office - USPTO. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries. " The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished.
New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. European Union - Intellectual property. We are migrating the content of this website during the first semester of 2014 into the new EUR-Lex web-portal. We apologise if some content is out of date before the migration.
We will publish all updates and corrections in the new version of the portal. Do you have any questions? Contact us. Intellectual property A uniform system of protection of intellectual property rights, ranging from industrial property to copyright and related rights, constitutes the foundation for creativeness and innovation within the European Union. Respect of the basic principles of the internal market (the free movement of goods and services and free competition) is based on standardisation of intellectual property at European level. Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and Sustainable Development. African Regional Intellectual Property Organization. European Patent Organisation. The European Patent Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation that was set up on 7 October 1977 on the basis of the European Patent Convention (EPC) signed in Munich in 1973.
It has two bodies, the European Patent Office and the Administrative Council, which supervises the Office's activities. Calendar Schedule of meetings of the Council and its bodies Budget and Finance Committee The BFC is composed of the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary, member states of the EPC, the European Patent Office and observers. Legal foundations The European Patent Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation that was set up in 1977 on the basis of the European Patent Convention. European Patent Office Homepage - EPO. Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property Home. Center for Advanced Study and Research on Intellectual Property - CASRIP.