Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Convention Foreseen In 2010 14/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations have been called on by a meeting of international leaders to “take full measure of the public health and public safety stakes linked to the scourge of counterfeit medication and to decide at the national level of the appropriate measures to be applied.” Stakeholders were invited to an as-yet […]
Development Agenda Conference: WIPO Can Enable Fair Technology Transfer 13/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment Development is to be a lead priority in the World Intellectual Property Organization, with the 2007 Development Agenda under implementation. But what a development-friendly intellectual property programme will look like in practice is not yet entirely clear. On 13-14 October at WIPO, stakeholders are gathered to discuss examples of development and IP and projects implementing the agenda.
Sarkozy Government Allegedly Caught Red-Handed Infringing DVD Copyrights 13/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While the French Constitutional Council is considering the constitutionality of the rabble-rouser HADOPI 2 law (IPW, Coopyright policy, 2 October 2009), pushed by the French government to authorise legal authorities to suspend internet access of alleged copyright infringers, French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s services allegedly made 400 unauthorised copies of a DVD over the summer. The […]
Internet Domain Dispute Resolution Working, Needs Updates, WIPO Told 12/10/2009 by William New and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments One of the features of the multi-faceted United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization is its arbitration and mediation of disputes over internet domain names. At a conference at WIPO today, supporters and lawyers who use the system said it is working but suggested some further improvements and a fear of more new domains being introduced.
Bangkok Climate Meeting Leaves Political Issues, Compulsory Licences Unresolved 12/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments BANGKOK – Humanity may be facing the single greatest threat to its future in history, yet significant political disagreements still stand in the way of common action needed to combat what will be a common crisis. One potential blocking point appears to be whether compulsory licensing may be encouraged for poor countries needing climate technologies.
WTO Forum: Bypassing International Agreements May Hamper Medicines Access 11/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Access to medicines in developing countries may be put at risk by European customs regulations and more broadly by trade provisions in most free trade agreements between developed and developing countries, said speakers at the recent World Trade Organization Public Forum.
Council Of Europe Weighs Future; Drafts Counterfeit Medicines Convention 09/10/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Sixty years after its foundation, the Council of Europe is reconsidering its role and place in the architecture of European institutions. One new development is the drafting of a convention against medicines counterfeiting.
New Security System Is Internet’s “Biggest Change In History” 08/10/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Starting on 1 December, the central root zone of the internet domain name system (DNS) will be given digital signatures based on the protocol DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) in an effort to make the internet more secure. Once signed with DNSSEC, domains can be automatically authenticated, thereby making middle-man attacks to lure users away obvious […]
IP Rights In Agriculture: High Stakes, Entrenched Positions At WTO Public Forum 08/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The economic, climate and food crises were on the lips of speakers at the 2009 World Trade Organization Public Forum last week. Suggestions for better global governance were sought from stakeholders who took the podium in different sessions, and trade in agriculture was a focal point of the event.
Iceland Panel: French ‘3-Strike’ Rule Spreading But Not Best Option 07/10/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment COPENHAGEN – A panel discussing the copyright challenges posed by social media at a recent conference in Iceland concluded that while new and stricter regulations as proposed in France may not be a bad idea, the best solution is to provide consumers with quality services for which they are willing to pay. Meanwhile, there are new developments at the European level.