Privacy

Ruling Threatens Consumer Lawsuits;

July 25, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A state Supreme Court decision could void many cases filed before Proposition 64's passage.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Consumer advocates argued that post-election efforts to apply the law retroactively amounted to a bait-and-switch tactic designed to sink a pack of troublesome lawsuits. Monday's ruling in the Mervyn's case is "a blow to every one of those cases now pending," said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "They now have an extra hurdle to overcome to move forward."</p>

New life for California stem cell agency

July 24, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Oakland Tribune</p> <p>John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has been monitoring CIRM's policy decisions, said that the agency needs a clear plan for governing ownership of any scientific discoveries made with state funds before issuing any grants. "You wouldn't shoot a $150 million movie without a script," he said.</p>

Proposals by Schwarzenegger’s At “Health Care Summit” Influenced by Campaign Contributions Not Interest of Consumers

July 24, 2006  ·  Jerry Flanagan

<p class="source">California Progress Report</p> <p>Governor Schwarzenegger's "Summit on Health Care Affordability" today ignored the two leading causes of health care cost increases: health insurer overhead costs and drug company profits. Schwarzenegger's health care proposals have been influenced by the huge campaign contributions he has received from health insurers and drug companies.</p>

Stem cell patents make group a target;

July 23, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Challenge points up state's role in bringing technology to market</h3><p class="source">Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, Calif., and the Public Patent Foundation in New York filed a request Tuesday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office asking it to overturn three important patents on embryonic stem cells awarded to James A. Thomson. The University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist first isolated stem cells from human embryos in 1998.</p>

State Takes Lead in Stem Cell Efforts;

July 21, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A day after President Bush's veto, the governor orders a $150-million loan to kick-start research now stalled by litigation.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Another watchdog group that has worked to ensure that the institute is accountable to taxpayers cautiously applauded the loan. It's "better than going hat-in-hand to fat cats with a potential vested interest in the outcome, begging for money," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, who criticized a recent private gala held by the institute to raise funds to keep it afloat.</p>

New Life for Research…or for Biotech Donors?

July 21, 2006  ·  John M. Simpson

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">The day after President Bush vetoed a bill to extend federally funded stem cell research, Arnold breathed new life into California's cash-strapped stem cell institute by ordering the state to...</font>

Stem Cell Bill Seen as a Qualified Boon for Research

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The New York Times</p> <p>Yesterday the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog group in California, filed a request to the United States Patent and Trademark Office to invalidate the Wisconsin patents. The group, assisted by the Public Patent Foundation, said earlier work by other scientists had made the work done in Wisconsin obvious and not patentable.</p>

Request to re-examine WARF stem cell patents escalates war of words;

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Scientist says James Thomson "followed recipe" of other researchers</h3><p class="source">Wisconsin Technology Network</p> <p>The most recent exchange came after the Public Patent Foundation, on behalf of the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, filed a formal request with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to re-examine three patents held by WARF.</p>

Review of stem cell patents is sought;

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Consumer groups say researchers 'handcuffed'</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>The groups -- the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights in Santa Monica and the New York-based Public Patent Foundation -- said the "outrageous and overreaching" patents present more of a roadblock to embryonic stem cell research than the moral debate played out on Capitol Hill yesterday.</p>

A Senate Go on Stem Cells

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Inside Higher Ed (insidehighered.com)</p> <p>One of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights's main points that it hopes to convey to the patent office is that animal stem cell research, conducted with public money, prior to the Wisconsin patents made the patented material both possible and obvious, and that it should therefore be un-patentable.</p>

Hands On The Wheel: Consumer Watchdog Calls For Changes To Self-Driving Regulations

July 19, 2006  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>Peterborough, Ontario -- July 18, 2016 --</strong> Consumer Watchdog is lobbying both the US government and American automotive giant Tesla Motors to implement new driving regulations on the company’s range of potentially groundbreaking autonomous vehicles.</p>

Groups Target Stem Cell Patents

July 18, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Science Magazine Online</p> <p>"All [WARF] really did here was follow what a number of stem cell scientists were showing," says John Simpson with the Santa Monica, California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), which is leading the effort with nonprofit patent-watchdog Public Patent Foundation. "They tried to pull a fast one on the Patent Office -- they've been caught with their hand in the cookie jar," says Dan Ravicher, an attorney with Public Patent.</p>