International Outsourcing & IP Law's topics - tribe.net

Business networking and Events

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:14:08 GMT

i would like to invite my Tribe network to join me on www.connectture.com - its a social business network based in Europe with a growing base of users from all over the world. Easy way of keeping track of your Business Network.

Cheers

Sarah

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

Contact Center Directory - new websites

living_astrology — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 08:33:26 GMT

Hi,

I've just launched http://www.contact-center-directory.com , a Contact Center business directory.

Submission of your company website is for free.

Regards

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

Chamber of Commerce and Trade with China

xiaoyi — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:52:41 GMT

I have created a tribe with the captioned name. IP in china will be a key topic there. Please feel free to join. TO join, on my page please find the tribe with that name which is moderated by me

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

BUSINESS METHOD PATENTS: A View To The Controversy

Thomas — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 20:55:42 GMT

Controversy is seems innately attached to business method patents. Many commentators see the U.S. patent system as a global troublemaker in its acceptance of these patents. For example, The Economist published an Opinion, “Monopolies of The Mind”, November 11, 2004 which considered the business method patent to be a “mistake”. While doom and gloom gets the press, what really is happening in the United States?

The United States Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) categorizes what is considers to be business method patents in Class 705. Class 705 is defined by the PTO as “arrangements” generally used for problems relating to the administration of an organization, commodities or financial transactions. The PTO considers these patents as an “unbroken evolutionary path from mechanical technology up to today's software controlled microprocessors”. In at least one document published on the PTO site, the PTO states that “[t]he business method claim format has been used in various forms throughout that period” (~100 years). The PTO further adds that “[t]he increase in its use today is an inevitable end result of our progress over the last century.

An often cited court decision occurred in 1998 when the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the patentability of business method-related software. This court decision was State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Financial Group. The rest they say is history. This decision did in fact appear to have a profound impact on the number of Class 705 application filed. According to the PTO document “Class 705 saw about 1% of the total patent applications filed at the PTO in fiscal year 1999. The PTO adds that those “2658 applications did not even place it among the top five Communications and Information Processing technologies”. You have to love statistics, which can be analogized to lampposts for their often ignominious use for support rather than in illumination.

So what has happened in Class 705? Well according to the latest PTO estimates (through FY 2003) a lot. 7800 patent applications in Class 705 were filed in 2000, 8700 in 2001, 6782 in 2002, and 6000 in 2003. The number of Class 705 applications that issued in those years were 585 patents in 1999, 899 in 2000, 433 in 2001, 493 in 2002, and 495 in 2003. The PTO does state that the estimated number of applications filed and issued “do not include Continued Prosecution Applications and Requests for Continued Examination”. This means the numbers would likely be somewhat higher.

Bottom line? Don’t be fooled…with anything there is good and bad, the moderation in Class 705 activity likely reflects the public awareness that business method patents are not a panacea for business success. Likely we are seeing a correction of the filing and issuance of Class 705 applications to a level that corresponds to their actual value in the marketplace. Business method patents can be valuable, and ultimately they will be utilized where they are valuable.

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 4 replies

Intro and ?'s

Sun, 15 Aug 2004 07:55:07 GMT

Hello,
I have a small and steadily growing arts company with a current focus of greeting cards, journals, and we are now dabbling with clothing. Original fine art cards have been our main thing. Our company is now at the point where we need to begin outsourcing our printing and some of the production. We currently have glittered products that need to be machine done- we've been doing by hand- CRAZY!
I have been reluctant to start having our stuff done outside the U.S- so much to know and I am very new to all of this. But luckily success is pushing us to get the ball rolling. I want to be as sure as i can be that i am participating in only positive businesses that take care of employees etc. i do not want to go outside the U.S all to save a buck at soemones elses "expense". There are many other things that i havn't a clue about yet. Are there middle men who can fascilitate the outsourcing? What are the concerns with importing those jobs etc?
I am not sure if i am in the righ tplace for these questions. Any thoughts?

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 2 replies

Value of File Wrappers ?

elizabethlavenza — Thu, 19 May 2005 02:03:34 GMT

My fiance and I are currently writing our own patent for one of his inventions. There is another patent from the early 80's that does the same thing in a completly different way. I was thinking it might be helpful to us to order the file wrapper on this patent since it has the same use as ours, and is therefore rather similar. But we are obviously low on cash or we wouldn't be writing our own patent, my fiance thinks the $200 for a file wrapper is prohibitive, so I am wondering how much information you guys think we would get from it, and would it be worth it?
Thanks in advance, Alice and Jeremy

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 2 replies

Protecting International rights (URGENT ASSISTANCE REQUESTED!)

Jeremy — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 08:22:23 GMT

I am working with a patent attorney to convert my provisional patent into a full patent. The provisional was filed 1 year ago on the 18th of this month and the full will meet this deadline woth little problem.

The concern now is the protection of international rights. My attorney wants about $4,000 to file a PTC to give us another 18 months to file international patents. It was my inderstanding that one has 2 years from the filing date of the U.S. patent to acquire international patents. Being as my filing date will be pre-dated to the filing of the provisional, I thought that it would leave me with one year to get the internationals. Aparently this is not the case as the attorney wants to file this PTC form ASAP (as in the next few days).

If I can't raise the 4K, will I be unable to get patent rights in other countries in the future, or is there something I am missing here?

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 2 replies

hello and a question :) export license and taxes

Jesennia — Tue, 03 May 2005 14:20:14 GMT

HI, I'm Jes, owner of www.akaisilks.com . I am going to relocate to China, most likely either Nanjing or Shanghai, for a few months and I have a question about taxable income. My products are made in China. I will be living in China. I will have my products shipped to distributors in the US (in bulk lots), and the distributors will ship out individually from the US. Do I need to secure an export license to do this? Also would I pay US income taxes as I do now, and/or would I also pay taxes in China as well.

Can anyone recommend helpful website resources to learn as much as possible about the legalities of business in China? Many thanks. PS I ship worldwide if that makes a difference.

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

Hello Everyone

Wed, 13 Apr 2005 19:09:40 GMT

I just joined this group. I am also organizing a seminar (free) in NYC next November about International Project Management with my professional association. This will be my third year to put that together in New York City (volunteer work) I welcome new and fresh ideas about the topic. If intrested, let me know, thanks all.

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

Freelance Professionals

Peter — Tue, 12 Oct 2004 01:51:07 GMT

I would like to let you know about a new service that connects employers with freelance professionals.

www.ContractedWeb.com is a new service that connects project owners with freelancers from around the world.

Those looking for work to be completed post projects for free, review bids and select the right freelancer for a job. Freelance Professionals post bids for free, create online portfolios to showcase work as well as a list of many other features.

I hope that you find www.ContractedWeb.com as useful as many others have.

If you have any questions please let me know.

-Peter Ferrigan
www.ContractedWeb.com

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

EU Community Patent Dead!?

Thomas — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:42:55 GMT

See it here:
http://www.ipjur.com/2004_03_01_archive.php3#107903367651024085

An interesting development which may add to the uncertainty of EU protection? Less movement of foreign capital and manufacturing to the EU? I wonder.

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 9 replies

Non-Disclosure

kentsamuel — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:17:52 GMT

Where can I get a good non-disclosure agreement to look at for foreign services?

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 2 replies

Interesting IP Link for Business Owners

Thomas — Wed, 18 Aug 2004 19:56:48 GMT

I have found IndustryWeek to be a good resource from time to time. They occasionally have web seminars on a variety of interesting topics. This article caught my attention since it discussed...what else...IP/Outsourcing/Business.

http://www.industryweek.com/CurrentArticles/Asp/articles.asp?ArticleId=1669

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

Assitance Soucing (anything) from China

marvin — Sat, 14 Aug 2004 10:42:09 GMT

Hello everyone

I'm currently working as an import/export consultant in Northern China. I've created a fairly significant network in my time here and would be happy to direct anyone with serious interest to someone that could assist you in sourcing just about anything from China. I'm offering this to the network at no charge; my hope is that when someone in the network has an opportunity, they will also share it with the group.

Regards

Marvin
Shanxi Province
People's Republic of China

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 1 reply

Olympics & IP

Thomas — Fri, 13 Aug 2004 13:23:15 GMT

IP trivia fun:

http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/nairobi/

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

IP & the Dancer

beka — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:26:43 GMT

I put this question to Thomas a couple months ago. He gave my links to some very informative and interesting articles, but I like to hear some other professional (or otherwise informed) opinions on the subject.

Here is the letter I wrote to Thomas, followed by links to the articles he suggested:

Hi Thomas,
>
> There is a heated discussion on the tribe "Too
> Much Drama Too Dance" (toomuchdrama.tribe.
> net/) regarding dancers moves as property and I
> was wondering if you'd be willing to put your
> two legal cents in.
>
> Here's the situation in a nutshell:
>
> 1. Are a dancers moves her property?
>
> 2. Once the moves or combos are taught in a
> class do they cease to belong to her? or If you
> pay to learn a move or combo in a class
> situation is it yours? Is it free for all who attended the >class?
>
> An interesting aspect here is that most (but not
> all) of the dancers involved in this discussion
> are of a very specific type: American Tribal
> Bellydance (aka:ATS, aka:Tribal). Tribal is not
> choreographed, it's lead-and-follow similar to
> ballroom dancing. It consists of specific moves
> each with it's own cue and an endless variety of
> combinations (mini-choreographies within a mostly improv piece).
>
> If you're interested you can read through two
> separate posts on that tribe (TooMuchDrama.tribe.net):
> "Flattery or Forgery"
> "If you pay for it , is it yours? OF COURSE!!!"
And a newer one called "Stealing Dance Moves" on The Indigo tribe theindigo.tribe.net

Articles from Thomas (may need to be copy/pasted into your browser):
I found a couple of interesting items you might want to look at (AU based discussion on traditional dance): http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/studies/cultural/minding-culture/studies/index.html and

http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/studies/cultural/minding-culture/studies/performances.pdf

If ATS is a new dance form (New as of early 1970's), there may be some copyright issues to consider. See the following article:

www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/copyrigh.html

Looking forward to other opinions.

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

introduction

vruz — Mon, 22 Mar 2004 05:38:38 GMT

Hello all,

I'm a software developer and also aspiring media producer, so IP is inherently related to every single thing I do.
I've recently started a small software company with a friend of mine and we're targeting overseas markets.

For now I guess I will lurk around and learn :-)
If there's anything I can help you with in my areas of expertise, I will be more than glad to hear from you.

Best regards,
Horacio

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 0 replies

INTRODUCTION

Thomas — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 12:20:29 GMT

As you may have guessed from the site, I am interested in intellectual property (IP) in the international context. For those who do not know, IP is comprised of things like patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

My hope for this site is to provide tribe members a forum in which questions, ideas, and observations can be voiced...with maybe a few problems solved along the way. This site is not just for the established business owner, it is also where people can learn about a shaping force for their country’s economy and national policies. Barring a major turn in the tide, multilateral trade is going to rest, in part, on IP agreements and legal harmonization.

The discussion and material presented on this site is intended to be member driven. On that note, what questions do you have about the international framework (WTO, WIPO, etc.) in relation to outsourcing and IP (or even in general)? Are you part of a business that has considered (or is) selling products and/or services overseas? What problems have you had to face, and what solutions did you find worked? If you a student working on a project, this is a great place to ask for resources.

I look forward to some great discussions.

All the best! Tom

posted in International Outsourcing & IP Law - 4 replies