Panel: IP Rights In Standards Impede Competition, Disadvantage Developing Countries 17/07/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Catherine Saez Standards and intellectual property rights appear to be worlds apart and to respond to opposite purposes, according to a recent panel of legal and policy experts. While standards are established to ensure compatibility in technology to the advantage of all users at national, regional or international levels, intellectual property rights are meant […]
Initiative Aimed At Boosting Knowledge And Technology-Based Legislation In Africa 17/07/2008 by Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch CAIRO – African countries recently approved a plan to set up a parliamentary knowledge network to enhance legislative and institutional capacity for creating science and technology-based legislation including intellectual property rights. But the community of science policymakers is having somewhat mixed reactions. The plan was announced last month […]
New Rules On Generic Biological Medicines Under US Congressional Debate 17/07/2008 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch When Biotechnology Industry Organization CEO Jim Greenwood meets with members of the United States Congress to talk to them about follow-on biologics, he brings a graphic model of an aspirin and a DVD showing the complex molecules of a biologic drug. He uses these visuals to help explain the differences between traditional chemical drugs and newer, cutting-edge biological ones being used in many breakthrough therapies for cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. The differences between traditional chemical drugs and biological ones is the crux of the debate going on in the United States as Congress and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) try to create a regulatory pathway that gives consumers greater access to cheaper, generic biological drugs, but still spurs innovation and protects innovator patent claims. “When the legislation was introduced at the beginning of this Congress, most pundits expected that we’d oppose it,” said Greenwood, a former House representative from Pennsylvania, told Intellectual Property Watch. “But that was a mistake the pharmaceutical industry made in the ’80s – trying to resist the notion you could safely make generics …our view at BIO is that we need to follow the science, and science says you can make follow-on biologics that can be safe and can save the consumer money and therefore we support it.”
Europe May Put ACTA Back On Faster Track 16/07/2008 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Despite earlier statements by European negotiators that the planned Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) would need time for fine-tuning, nations seem to accept a fast track movement now. ACTA has been mentioned as an agenda item of the French presidency of the European Union (from July to January), the […]
Modalities Drafted For WTO Geographical Indications, Biodiversity Amendment 15/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara A confidential draft text circulated recently among some World Trade Organization members reveals an attempt to consolidate separate proposals aimed at the protection of product names with location-related associations and characteristics (called geographical indications) and at the protection of biological diversity and traditional knowledge. Proponents appear to still be seeking support in […]
Modalities Text On IP Issues Floated At WTO Available Here 15/07/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A confidential text, dated 30 June and available here, and circulated recently among some World Trade Organization members reveals an attempt to consolidate separate proposals on the protection of geographical indications, biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
New Southern/East African Copyright Network Targets Protection, Local Innovation 15/07/2008 by Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Seventeen African ministers of arts and culture have officially launched the newly formed Southern and Eastern Africa Copyright Network (Seaconet) in a bid to strengthen regional collaboration and cooperation in the field of creative industries, copyright and related rights. “The need to create Seaconet is due to the […]
Intellectual Property: A Means To An Access And Benefit-Sharing End? 14/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara Intellectual property is a useful leveraging tool for developing countries eager to see the creation of a global access and benefit-sharing regime on genetic resource use, said a recent panel on biodiversity protections in international law. “Benefit-sharing was viewed as an integral part of the main bargain between developed and developing countries” when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first formed, said Timothy Hodges, a Canadian official who co-chairs an access and benefit-sharing working group under the CBD.
WIPO Development Committee Ends First Year On Mostly Agreeable Note 12/07/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New The World Intellectual Property Organization’s newest and potentially highest impact committee – aimed at ensuring all of the organisation’s activities are sufficiently development-friendly to fit its wide-ranging membership – completed its first year with some concrete progress and lots of hints for the future, including many new faces taking over the debate […]
Las patentes mancomunadas son la siguiente etapa para la creación de un organismo de adquisición de medicamentos innovadores 11/07/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por Kaitlin Mara Una iniciativa intergubernamental de carácter excepcional para la financiación de medicamentos en las regiones pobres y mal abastecidas tomó una decisión histórica la semana pasada: adoptar un acuerdo sobre el interés de compartir los derechos de propiedad intelectual (PI) a fin de reducir los costos y mejorar la calidad de los medicamentos […]