M·CAM Enabled Patent Bay wins Prestigious Award – Award to be Granted in Universitetet i Göteborg on April 29

Date:  Fri, 2009-03-20

M·CAM Enabled Patent Bay wins Prestigious Award – Award to be Granted in Universitetet i Göteborg on April 29

Göteborg Sweden and Charlottesville, VA – March 20, 2009 ––The Association for Free Culture and Software Awards Idea Prize ’09 to The Patent Bay, Feeding Frenzy, and dictating machines 2.0.

The jury in the Idea Prize ’09 has chosen to award this year’s prize to three creative projects in the field of free culture and software. The prize of 10,000 SEK is divided this year among three recipients one of which is The Patent Bay (a partnership between the EU Parliament Candidate Erik Josefsson and M·CAM).

Projects were selected on the basis of the jury’s assessment of feasibility, innovation, relevance, and creativity. The jury included Oscar Swartz, Rasmus Fleischer and Patrik Wallström. From the outset, the Association for Free Culture and Software, which awards, the prize, intended to limit the cash reward and recognition to two projects.

“With several good ideas, we had no choice but to use the 10,000 SEK in this manner. The three projects now all have visibility and will demonstrate to those in their respective fields, examples of ideas that the association would like to support,” said Jonas Öberg, vice chairman of the Association.

Most of the ideas that were submitted were commendable and the three who eventually were selected represented different aspects of the values and mission of the Idea Prize. The Patent Bay is remarkable in that it links a great idea with the notion of free speech and public discourse in political process.

All the winners have been invited to a ceremony on April 29, 2009 at the IT University of Goteburg, Sweden to present their projects and receive the prize.

The Patent Bay – sponsored by Erik Josefsson – collects and analyzes patents and patent related information to promote the genuine revival of innovation in Swedish and European Union procurement in an effort to help cool down the overheating patent system and create new conditions for innovation.

For Full Release

M·CAM Innovation Literacy Teams with Recording Artists for UN Slavery Remembrance

Date:  Thu, 2009-03-19

M·CAM Innovation Literacy Teams with Recording Artists for UN Slavery Remembrance

Charlottesville, VA – March 19, 2009 ––M·CAM Executive Chairman David Martin collaborated with the theme for recording artists Peter Buffett and AKON’s newest release, “Blood Into Gold” written for the United Nations and their commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to take place March 25th. Human trafficking continues to be a horrifying reality for millions around the world. Please join us in “breaking the silence, beating the drum.”

Music Video

David Martin to Address International Conference on Business Incubation in Saudi Arabia

Date:  Mon, 2009-03-16

David Martin to Address International Conference on Business Incubation in Saudi Arabia

Charlottesville, Virginia and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – March 16 – 17, 2009 ––M·CAM Executive Chairman Dr. David Martin will be giving a Keynote Address at the International Conference on Business Incubation held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh March 16–17, 2009. His presentation will focus on the role of innovation in building value in small and medium sized enterprises. Special attention will be paid to ways in which countries in the Middle East and around the world can make use of information technologies and financial models to leap-frog established industrial countries in their economic strategic development.

M·CAM Comments on Recent Microsoft/TomTom Patent Litigation

Date:  Wed, 2009-03-11

M·CAM Comments on Recent Microsoft/TomTom Patent Litigation

Charlottesville, Virginia – March 11, 2009 –– On February 25, 2009, Microsoft filed suit against TomTom, alleging that the in-car navigation company’s products violate eight of its patents: five concerning navigation technology and three regarding filename management.

Microsoft Patents Patent Title Priority Date File Date Issue Date

US5579517 Common name space for long and short filenames 1-Apr-95 24-Apr-95 26-Nov-96

US5758352 Common name space for long and short filenames 1-Apr-93 5-Sep-96 26-May-98

US6175789 Vehicle computer system with open platform architecture 29-Nov-95 10-Sep-99 16-Jan-01

US6202008 Vehicle computer system with wireless internet connectivity 29-Nov-95 10-Sep-99 13-Mar-01

US6256642 Method and system for file system management using a flash-erasable, programmable, read-only memory 29-Jan-92 29-Jan-92 3-Jul-01

US6704032 Methods and arrangements for interacting with controllable objects within a graphical user interface environment using various input mechanisms 27-Oct-00 27-Oct-00 9-Mar-04

US7054745 Method and system for generating driving directions 3-Sep-03 3-Sep-03 30-May-06

US7117286 Portable computing device-integrated appliance 15-Nov-02 11-Oct-05 3-Oct-06

Microsoft claims that this suit was filed after over a year of licensing discussions with TomTom. However, preliminary analysis of Microsoft’s asserting patents and the patent portfolio held by TomTom reveals potential issues for Microsoft.

Interestingly enough, four of the patents asserted by Microsoft (US7117286, US7054745, US6202008, and US6175789) feature claims that may have already been anticipated in previous TomTom patent filings. These potentially weaken Microsoft’s assertion. Below is a subset of TomTom’s patent portfolio.

TomTom Patents Patent Title Priority Date File Date Issue Date

US5938720 Route generation in a vehicle navigation system 9-Feb-95 15-Jan-97 17-Aug-99

US5712788 Incremental route calculation 9-Feb-95 9-Feb-95 27-Jan-98

US5608635 Navigation system for a vehicle with route recalculation between multiple locations 14-Apr-92 17-Nov-94 4-Mar-97

US5550538 Navigation system 14-Jul-93 31-Oct-94 27-Aug-96

US5515284 Storage medium for map information for navigation system and system for offering map information for navigation system 25-Sep-91 19-Apr-95 7-May-96

US5311434 Vehicle navigation system 5-Aug-91 31-Jul-92 10-May-94

US5303159 Navigation system with off-route detection and route recalculation 14-Apr-92 14-Apr-92 12-Apr-94

US5291414 Navigation system for guiding a vehicle along a precomputed optimal route 14-Apr-92 14-Apr-92 1-Mar-94

US5291413 Navigation system for guiding a vehicle along a precomputed optimal route 14-Apr-92 14-Apr-92 1-Mar-94

US5291412 Navigation system 24-Mar-92 24-Mar-92 1-Mar-94

US5262775 Navigation system with off-route detection and route recalculation 7-Apr-92 7-Apr-92 16-Nov-93

EP1811269 Navigation device and method for displaying alternative routes 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 25-Jul-07

EP1611416 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 30-May-07

EP1608935 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SIMULATED NAVIGATION DATA 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 14-Nov-07

EP1599703 NAVIGATION DEVICE WITH TOUCH SCREEN 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 21-Mar-07

EP1599702 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXCHANGING DATA BETWEEN RESIDENT APPLICATIONS 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 14-May-08

WO2004076979 NAVIGATION DEVICE WITH TOUCH SCREEN 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 10-Sep-04

WO2004076978 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SIMULATED NAVIGATION DATA 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 10-Sep-04

WO2004076977 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXCHANGING DATA BETWEEN RESIDENT APPLICATIONS 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 10-Sep-04

WO2004076976 NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES 26-Feb-03 26-Feb-04 10-Sep-04

Additional research, as well as identification of the specific Microsoft patent claims being asserted in the lawsuit, would shed more light on potential weaknesses in both parties’ position. Subsequent Microsoft patent claims likely anticipate disclosures found in more recent TomTom filings. M·CAM analytics have identified 1,761 pieces of unconsidered precedent innovation affecting both parties’ positions, a selection of which are shown below.

Patents Patent Title Assignee Priority Date

US5051735 Heads-up display system for a road vehicle Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha 25-Sep-87

US5038401 Transmitter for remote control with operation switches having changeably displayed forms Pioneer Electronic Corporation 5-Apr-89

US4922486 User to network interface protocol for packet communications networks American Telephone and Telegraph Company 31-Mar-88

US4897642 Vehicle status monitor and management system employing satellite communication Secura Corporation 14-Oct-88

US4878170 Vehicle navigation system Eliahu I. Zeevi 17-Mar-88

US4875229 Vehicle telephone with call answering and recording means Anthony P. Palett 11-Jan-89

US4875206 High bandwidth interleaved buffer memory and control American Telephone and Telegraph Comopany, AT&T Bell Laboratorie 31-Mar-88

US4873513 Automated map display system Geodisplay Technology Limited Partnership 26-Aug-87

US4872157 Architecture and organization of a high performance metropolitan area telecommunications packet network American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories 31-Mar-88

US4842378 Method of illuminating flat panel displays to provide CRT appearing displays Alphasil, Inc. 7-Apr-87

US4812990 System and method for optimizing aircraft flight path Merit Technology Incorporated 29-Apr-87

US4796190 Navigation system Elihu C. Cummings 4-Jun-86

US4788645 Method and apparatus for measuring relative heading changes in a vehicular onboard navigation system Etak, Incorporated 21-Mar-86

US4787040 Display system for automotive vehicle International Business Machines Corporation 22-Dec-86

US4737916 Electronic map display system Nippondenso Co., Ltd. 30-Apr-85

US4733356 Control device for a vehicle route guidance system Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft 14-Dec-84

US4714995 Computer integration system TRW Inc. 13-Sep-85

US4675676 Map display system Nippondenso Co. Ltd. 9-Mar-83

US4660037 Current location indication apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha 28-Jan-82

US4651157 Security monitoring and tracking system METS, Inc. 7-May-85

US4638438 Navigation apparatus for automotive Hitachi, Ltd. 23-May-83

US4345147 Vehicle mounted mobile business data handling system International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation 14-Nov-80

US4258421 Vehicle monitoring and recording system Rockwell International Corporation 27-Feb-78

EP0242099 Anti-theft and locating system Advanced Strategics, Inc. 9-Apr-86

DE4033832 Touch-contact operating field for automobile navigation aid – has temporary display of switch pattern on screen used to display navigation map MITSUBISHI DENKI KK TOKIOTOKYO JP 24-Oct-89

Given that the intellectual property system was designed to stimulate innovation and benefit the advancement of “science and the useful arts”, it is worth considering the public interest in this case. An outcome that would benefit consumers on both sides of the Atlantic would be for both parties to acknowledge that neither one has an unassailable patent position and that, in fact, the unnecessary cost of litigation, ultimately borne by the consumer, is resting on easily contestable patent assertions. It is our hope that Microsoft and TomTom can actually navigate their way to a resolution that doesn’t keep the consumer perpetually lost.

M·CAM Partners with EU Campaign to Advocate Open Source Innovation Procurement

Date:  Fri, 2009-02-27

M·CAM Partners with EU Campaign to Advocate Open Source Innovation Procurement

Charlottesville, Virginia and Malmo, Sweden – February 27, 2009 –– M·CAM is pleased to participate in the launch of the Patent Bay. An integral part of EU Parliament Candidate Erik Josefsson’s campaign for ethical use of innovation in publicly funded R&D and procurement, the Patent Bay project is a first step in illuminating the need for fundamental reconsideration of state-sponsored market restraints in innovation.

More Information

M·CAM Announces Summer Internship in Papua New Guinea

Date:  Fri, 2009-02-27

M·CAM Announces Summer Internship in Papua New Guinea

Charlottesville, Virginia and Vunakanau, East New Britain PNG–February 27, 2009 –– M·CAM has announced its summer internship program to East New Britain in Papua New Guinea this year and the four interns who have been selected for the program. Working in partnership with Pacific Spices and with the support of friends at Australia’s PITIC and the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, M·CAM will be expanding its work on establishing the framework for Heritable Innovation Trusts in the Pacific. Last year, M·CAM launched this effort with colleagues at SBEC in Samoa working on issues including the misappropriation of indigenous knowledge from traditional healers (a subject of on-going work) and the growing environmental challenges posed by efforts to extract undersea mineral resources. For more information about this internship, please follow the blog at: More Information

M·CAM Mourns the Loss and Celebrates the Life of Statesman and Scientist Naoyoshi Suzuki

Date:  Tue, 2009-02-10

M·CAM Mourns the Loss and Celebrates the Life of Statesman and Scientist Naoyoshi Suzuki

Charlottesville, Virginia and Tokyo, Japan – February 10, 2009 –– Today, M·CAM joins the family, friends and colleagues around the world in celebrating the life and passing of one of the world’s most compassionate scientist statesman – Dr. Naoyoshi Suzuki. Born in 1931, Dr. Suzuki spent his life working to enhance the well–being of humanity through unprecedented, humble pursuit of scientific excellence specializing in protozoan diseases and their detection and treatment. For over 16 years, Dr. Suzuki was a dear friend and collaborator to M·CAM and its predecessor companies Mosaic Technologies Inc. and IDEAmed. Through a collaboration with the Hakuju Institute for Health Sciences in Tokyo and MariCal in Portland Maine, he assisted in the development of basic scientific understanding of the regulation of calcium at cell membranes – research that has already contributed to improvements in pain management, fisheries productivity, and cancer kinetics. While his scientific contributions were legion, his role as a statesman was even greater. Championing the importance of international technology transfer and collaboration was particularly poignant in his life as his family had suffered the constraints imposed by the national dishonor, including technology transfer restrictions, imposed by the Allies on September 2, 1945 on board the USS Missouri. Without Dr. Suzuki’s tireless efforts and ceaseless enthusiasm, M·CAM’s pioneering work in international technology transfer and financing would not have achieved its global status and success. From his gentle teachings of Bushido to his warm embrace of his “foreign friend”, we all are indebted to the life of Dr. Suzuki. Rest well dear friend.

Let but a prince cultivate virtue, people will flock to him; with people will come to him lands; lands will bring forth for him wealth; wealth will give him the benefit of right uses. Virtue is the root, and wealth the outcome. – Confucius

M·CAM CEO Expands Dialogue on Integrating Environmental Technology into Economic Stimulus

Date:  Mon, 2009-02-02

M·CAM CEO Expands Dialogue on Integrating Environmental Technology into Economic Stimulus

Charlottesville, VA – February 2, 2009 &#8211&#8211 Executive Chairman of M·CAM, Dr. David Martin, has just released his report on the structural challenges facing policymakers and industries seeking to integrate “green technology” into the current market. This report has been discussed extensively with European civil society, finance, and political entities and now is being made available to the general public.

When Green Meets Gold: A Call for Integral Wealth Ethics in the Climate and Energy Dialogue

Dr. David E. Martin Executive Chairman, M·CAM Fellow, Batten Institute, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia October 10, 2008

We’re here again. Economic uncertainty, energy volatility, environmental stresses, and a latter·day epiphany that “something must be done”. While the actors have new faces and the urgency has a new fervor, something gnaws at our consciousness – haven’t we been here before? Why didn’t solutions emerge last time? Who is to blame for getting us into this mess?

First, some facts. Since the 1970s, over 30,000 patents have been issued around the world for innovations and inventions in non·fossil fuel alternative energy technologies including solar photovoltaic, biomass, wind, tidal, geothermal, hydrogen, fuel cells, to name a few. Major research institutions and corporations – including energy giants like ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhilips, ChevronTexaco, Total Elf Fina – have seen massive investments made in alternative energy, large proprietary estates amassed, only to have them slip anonymously into abandonment or expiration having never fulfilled their commercial or social intent. The public utility infrastructure and delivery giants, too, have made considerable investments and, like the energy companies, have seen these slip into oblivion. Ironically, at precisely the moment when the world is reawakening to its “inconvenient truth” that something must be done to break our Promethian imperative to burn fossils, Europe, the U.S., China, and Japan face a perplexing dilemma. In short, the very future that we seek has been protected, abandoned, or expired – patents now expired and in the public domain – leaving commercial interests and public policy makers in a puzzling state. And no one is sure why adoption of promising technologies didn’t happen the last several times we were in energy shock. However, this time it’s different in one important way – namely, with the collapse of the financial markets, insurance and institutional investment in particular – the real systemic obstacle can be identified and engaged.

M·CAM Featured in Pacific Connection, Issue 18, December 2008 – February 2009

Date:  Tue, 2009-01-13

M·CAM Featured in Pacific Connection, Issue 18, December 2008 – February 2009

Pacific Islands – January 13, 2009–– Intellectual property (IP) specialist Dr. David Martin has been visiting Pacific Island governments advising on what he sees as an urgent need to protect their IP. Pacific affairs columnist Dev Nadkarni spoke to him in Samoa at a conference of small, medium and micro enterprises held under the auspices of the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation.

M·CAM Partner Arlington Institute Expands Financial Market Investment Advising Program

Date:  Thu, 2008-12-18

M·CAM Partner Arlington Institute Expands Financial Market Investment Advising Program

Berkeley Springs, WV – December 18, 2008 In July of 2006 – fully a year and a half before it became obvious – The Arlington Institute painted a detailed picture of the rocky financial road ahead. A financial tsunami loomed in our future, starting with subprime mortgage failures (we said Dec ’07), moving rapidly to consumer credit defaults (Q1–08), then insurance company and bank failures (Q2–08).

TAI saw that CDO and CMO markets would fail, driven by consumer credit default horizons and illiquidity in the credit insurance market, causing massive losses of wealth. Since then, subsequent presentations have correctly assessed the consequence of the new Basel II banking requirements and China’s economic responses . . . and we have anticipated the emerging challenges to the bond markets, which will begin show themselves in the coming months

The next implosion in the deepening recession–cum–depression will extract the lifeblood from local governments . . . and their ability to pay their debts.

The Arlington Institute has formally joined with our extended network of experts to offer a confidential, unique experience to allow you and your staff to visit the future . . . and then learn from it. Two hands-on, 2–day sessions will first array the possibilities of the future, explain the turbulence of the present, and then help you achieve workable solutions to achieve your own set of clarified goals and aspirations.

M·CAM CEO to address State of the World Forum in 2009

Date:  Wed, 2008-12-17

M·CAM CEO to address State of the World Forum in 2009

Charlottesville, VA – December 17, 2008 –– “Networking Creativity to Solve Global Challenges: A 2020 Vision,” November 12 – 14, 2009, at the Washington, D.C. Hilton.

This gathering is designed to catalyze innovative ideas, action oriented people, and enabling technologies required to shape constructive change. The 09 Forum is organized around:

1. addressing global warming–highlighting solutions that already exist;

2. mobilizing the Cultural Creative demographic (please visit the State of the World Forum website to learn more about the research supporting the emergence of this new global social force), and

3. connecting this emergent population that understands the need for urgent and constructive change and the systemic nature of the changes needed with the innovators of enabling technologies that can implement those changes.

The 2009 State of the World Forum will elevate awareness and connect need with innovative resources into a movement of global activism.

For more information

M·CAM Investigation Expands in Healing Technologies from Samoa: Local Botanist Contributes

Date:  Mon, 2008-12-08

M·CAM Investigation Expands in Healing Technologies from Samoa: Local Botanist Contributes

Apia, Samoa &#8211 December 8, 2008 ––Samoan botanist, Arona Faitala Palamo, has revived the debate in a letter to the Samoa Observer yesterday, where he questioned who the rightful owner is. Mr. Palamo has entered the bewildering discussion over intellectual property since another American expert, Dr. David E. Martin, cast doubt as to the benefits Samoa would be getting from the mamala plant.

Mr. Palamo’s warning raises concerns about the numerous taro varieties that agriculturalists here have developed through research throughout the years.

“Did you know that Mr. Cox took three other plants, and who knows how many more, that we used to control skin inflammation and he is working with a pharmaceutical firm for medical uses for two and the third has promising results in the lab against T lymphocytes?” he asks in a letter to the Samoa Observer. “So who owns these plants and all the chemical discoveries from them?”

Complete Story

M·CAM Predictions on Global Economic Instability Highlighted at Brussels IP Summit 2008

Date:  Fri, 2008-12-05

M·CAM Predictions on Global Economic Instability Highlighted at Brussels IP Summit 2008

Brussels, Belgium – December 5, 2008 –– Presentation by Alberto Barrionuevo. President of AndaLibre (ASOLIF) CEO of OPENTIA

M·CAM Heritable Innovation Trust model included in Pacific Islands SMME Forum Outcomes Document

Date:  Wed, 2008-11-19

M·CAM Heritable Innovation Trust model included in Pacific Islands SMME Forum Outcomes Document

Charlottesville, VA – November 19, 2008 –– The Global Innovation Trust is a mechanism for re-appropriating Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights originating in the PICs but now protected by patent, notably in the USA but also in Japan and the EU. PICs still contain plant and other biological assets that can be used to address global health and energy issues.

American expert highlights intellectual property challenges

American expert highlights intellectual property challenges

November 18, 2008 – Auckland, New Zealand –– An American intellectual property expert, Dr David Martin, says his organisation knows of thousands of cases of multi-national companies patenting traditional remedies from the Pacific.

Dr Martin, the CEO of intellectual property firm M·Cam, says the primary function of current international intellectual property rules is to protect the rights of multi-nationals.

“Our organisation has identified over 3,000 cases where traditional knowledge from remedies, indigenous traditional healing, have been patented and commercialised by multi-national corporations and institutions outside of the Pacific with no benefit flowing back to the Pacific.”

Dr Martin, who recently visited Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, is encouraging governments in the region to set up trusts to register traditional knowledge.

He says the trusts could be set up under existing contract law and would be a more effective way of protecting local knowledge than the inclusion of traditional knowledge clauses in free trade agreements.

American expert highlights intellectual property challenges

Date:  Tue, 2008-11-18

American expert highlights intellectual property challenges

November 18, 2008 – Auckland, New Zealand –– An American intellectual property expert, Dr David Martin, says his organisation knows of thousands of cases of multi-national companies patenting traditional remedies from the Pacific.

Dr Martin, the CEO of intellectual property firm M·Cam, says the primary function of current international intellectual property rules is to protect the rights of multi-nationals.

“Our organisation has identified over 3,000 cases where traditional knowledge from remedies, indigenous traditional healing, have been patented and commercialised by multi-national corporations and institutions outside of the Pacific with no benefit flowing back to the Pacific.”

Dr Martin, who recently visited Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, is encouraging governments in the region to set up trusts to register traditional knowledge.

He says the trusts could be set up under existing contract law and would be a more effective way of protecting local knowledge than the inclusion of traditional knowledge clauses in free trade agreements.

M·CAM, Inc. Launches Patently Obvious® IP Assertion Defense Service

Date:  Mon, 2008-11-17

M·CAM, Inc. Launches Patently Obvious® IP Assertion Defense Service

Charlottesville, Virginia − November 17, 2008−−Today, M·CAM, Inc. announced the Patently Obvious® assertion defense service, a rapid and cost-effective solution empowering companies to defend against patent assertions. The price range of Patently Obvious® is about 1-2% of the average IP litigation cost. M·CAM’s services bring clarity through detailed information to teams considering IP litigation risks. The deliverable contains the identification of the asserted patents’ status, a comprehensive report of unconsidered precedent art related to the asserted patents.

Developed and profitably used to help investors manage undisclosed patent weakness and invalidity, the Patently Obvious® service uses corporate, innovation and financial data integration and expert financial analysis to help find the optimum path to eliminating most, if not all, speculative assertions. Further, in contrast to other industry efforts, the Patently Obvious® service frequently establishes a basis for on-going freedom to operate derived from non-proprietary, public domain priority disclosures thereby reducing future costs.

Founded in 1998, M·CAM, Inc. is the international leader in creating financial solutions for the knowledge economy. M·CAM has worked for over a decade in bringing accountability and reliable risk assessment to the world of intangible risk finance.

For more information: Saul Yeaton info@m-cam.com

M·CAM Proposes Alternative to Patents and Traditional Knowledge Paradigm with the Heritable Knowledge Trust

Date:  Tue, 2008-11-04

M·CAM Proposes Alternative to Patents and Traditional Knowledge Paradigm with the Heritable Knowledge Trust

Charlottesville, Virginia and Suva, Fiji − November 4, 2008 −−Today, M·CAM unveiled its draft legislative framework to establish a basis for the recognition, protection, and stewardship of heritable and indigenous knowledge. This framework, based on existing contract law and jurisprudence, provides WTO and non-WTO countries a legal framework alternative to the regimes of TRIPS, TRIPS Plus and other industrial economy property paradigms with hinder the manifestation of value in most of the world for the benefit of the industrial few.

Pacific Islands have “abundance of wealth”, says intellectual property expert

Date:  Fri, 2008-10-24

Pacific Islands have “abundance of wealth”, says intellectual property expert

Nuku’alofa, Tonga − October 24, 2008 −−PACIFIC Island governments could change their view of their natural wealth, from one of being limited and based mainly on fisheries and agriculture, “to one that we have an abundance of wealth,” believes Dr David Martin an expert on intellectual property, who is visiting Tonga.

International Conventions and local Intellectual Property legislations are one-sided in favour of multinationals, and offer no protection for indigenous knowledge and creativity, he said in Nuku’alofa on October 20.

Dr Martin believed that the USA, the Europeans and Japan did not have the best interests of Tonga and the region in mind when they drafted their rules on Intellectual Property. “Their interest is for the advantage of the multinationals.”

Tonga Urged to Use Global Economic Crisis to its Advantage

Date:  Thu, 2008-10-23

Tonga Urged to Use Global Economic Crisis to its Advantage

Kingdom of Tonga − October 23, 2008 −− PACIFIC island nations are in a good position to take advantage of the current global economic crisis, according to Dr David E. Martin.

Dr Martin, an intellectual property and international finance specialist, said countries in this region were uniquely situated to integrate their industrial, natural and indigenous assets to form a banking and corporate sector that will weather the current crisis.

Instead of being overshadowed by the multinationals and bigger governments, the current economic game plan had put smaller nations on an even keel and as such they could now re-write the rules of how their intellectual property was used.