UN Human Rights Council Rallies On Right To Internet Freedom Of Expression 29/02/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments With tension seeming to brim just beneath the surface, human rights officials from around the world came together today at the United Nations in Geneva to talk about ways to keep the internet open and nationally regulated at the same time. There were no decisions, and wide differences in views, but the first-of-its-kind panel might have laid the ground for future work on internet freedom and human rights. Intellectual property rights were mentioned several times.
ACTA Debated At WTO; Petitions And Letters Fly In Brussels 29/02/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments While action on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is occurring at the European Parliament in Brussels – including a new letter from Members of Parliament and 2.5 million petitioners in opposition – ACTA also was the subject of discussion at the World Trade Organization this week.
Australian Tobacco Law May Head To WTO Dispute As TRIPS Council Meets 28/02/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property issues today is meeting to address its usual list of topics with two recent additions of international interest. Countries negotiating the embattled Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and a country opposed to Australia’s public health law on tobacco packaging have added these to the agenda. Sources at the meeting say opponents of the tobacco law may be near to filing a dispute settlement case at the WTO.
‘Balanced’ Copyright: Not A Magic Solving Word 27/02/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments It was obviously a moment of some embarrassment for the US Department of Commerce and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
US, WIPO IP Summit In Africa Postponed 26/02/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A training programme on intellectual property organised by the United States with several partners to be held in Africa in April has been postponed under pressure to make the programme more transparent and representative of all stakeholders.
The Pulse Of IP In International Pharma Today 24/02/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment High-level policymakers, industry leaders, law professors and other stakeholders came together in Geneva recently to discuss the how the role of intellectual property is evolving when it comes to developing, protecting, and providing medicines.
ACTA Ratification Suspended In Europe, Awaits High Court Opinion 23/02/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union’s progress of adopting the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiated last year has been suspended pending a ruling by Europe’s highest court, the European Trade Commissioner announced yesterday.
WIPO Achieves Single Legal Text On Genetic Resources; Indigenous Peoples Back 23/02/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments After eight days of intensive drafting work, delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization now have a text that will be submitted to the WIPO General Assemblies in September so that a diplomatic conference can be decided upon to finish negotiations on an international instrument protecting genetic resources from misappropriation.
Indigenous Peoples Walk Out Of WIPO Committee On Genetic Resources 22/02/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The International Indigenous Forum, in an unprecedented collective move, decided yesterday to withdraw from the discussions of the WIPO Committee on Genetic Resources taking place from 14-22 February. The move calls into question the legitimacy of the negotiations.
Special Report: TPP Negotiations To Heat Up In Melbourne Over Patents, Copyright, Medicines 21/02/2012 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Precious little is known publicly about the details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement being negotiated by the United States and other Pacific-bordering nations, but some sources say the agreement could contain some of the strongest language on intellectual property rights that has come under attack in other agreements. US trade negotiators, meanwhile, say they are consulting stakeholders widely.
