As the weekend approaches, here are a few short notices from the IPKat1. PIIPA: the IPKat has still received very, very little information about this shadowy and mysterious body, but will report its findings early next week.
2. Neil J. Wilkof: don't forget to email Jeremy to let him know if you want to join Neil for a friendly and informal chat on Tuesday.
3. IP and the Big Chill. Here, courtesy of John Blake (Brookes Batchellor), is a provocative article from The Scientist on whether intellectual property protection slows down progress, especially now that academics are so selfish as to seek to protect their own IP. John adds, not without justification, "the report I noted may have been at least partially inspired by this from the AAAS, which was interpreted here as "A survey has found out just how much of a chilling effect patents have on science research...".Thanks, John! The IPKat's own take on this is that IP rights are bound to have a chilling effect on anything that tends towards anarchy, just as road traffic laws have a chilling effect on the freedom of motorists to drive around residential neighbourhoods at top speed ...
4. Black mark for artists' resale right. Here, fresh from the UK House of Lords' Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee is an unfavourable report on resale royalty right (one blushing IPKat didn't even know this committee existed ...).