Snapshot of current worldwide intellectual property legislative efforts

An extraordinary number of significant intellectual property legislative efforts are underway around the globe.  Here’s a brief snapshot:

• In the United States, an omnibus appropriations bill is being used as a vehicle to mint several new intellectual property laws, including an overhaul of the fee structure of the Patent and Trademark Office, amendment to the obviousness provisions of the patent law, establishment of a federal copyright czar, and funding for the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council
  (NIPLAC) to
  protect American IP overseas and oversee enforcement.  And that’s a short list.
• In the European Union, the European Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions Directive is being considered and debated.  The Directive includes computer-implemented inventions as patentable subject matter.
• In India, an amendment to the Patents Act is under consideration.  The amendment is the final legislative step to bring India into full compliance with the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs).  India has a January 1, 2005 deadline to be fully TRIPs compliant.  The Amendment includes food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals as patentable subject matter.
• In Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) left an Order [.pdf] that will become law if a new Iraqi government does not revise or repeal it.   CPA Order 81 overhauls the Iraq patent law of 1970.  Among other changes, the Order creates Plant Variety Protection rights, which may impact traditional Iraqi agricultural practices.