World Health Assembly: R&D, NCDs, Pandemics Top Agenda 17/05/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments With just days before the UN World Health Assembly opens, member states once again face a packed agenda with key decisions to be taken on some highly-politicised public health and intellectual property matters, including how to move forward on the research and development draft resolution. The spotlight will also be on pandemic influenza preparedness, a resolution of size on noncommunicable diseases, the health-related Millennium Development Goals, and putting some reform decisions into practice.
Micro Consensus on WIPO Technical Assistance; Prickly Issues Left Open 17/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment One of the key discussions of the World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and IP (CDIP) this week was the improvement of WIPO technical assistance in the area of cooperation and development. Discussions trailed on for two days as countries were unable to agree on recommendations to be implemented, and if there should be any adoption by the committee. Shy of concrete consensus, the committee agreed on three modest actions.
World Telecom Policy Forum Agrees On Six Opinions 17/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While controversies over the role of governments in internet governance could not be avoided at the World Telecom Policy Forum this week, six prepared opinions were all passed with only minor changes. But a Brazilian proposal to “operationalize the role of governments in the multistakeholder framework of internet governance,” discussed at some length during the concluding day of the forum, did not find consensus.
IPR Lists For Trans-Atlantic Trade Deal Still Growing; Risk Of Locking In Old IPR Regimes? 15/05/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Locking in Europe and the United States to “old” intellectual property regimes is the one “killer argument” against including an IP chapter in the upcoming Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), according to Bernd Hugenholtz, director of the Institute for Information Law (IViR) at the University of Brussels. Hugenholtz spoke at a workshop on “What Role for Intellectual Property Rights in the TTIP?,” organised by Marietje Schaake, member of the European Parliament for the Liberal Group. Questions also were raised during the meeting about the lack of transparency of free trade negotiations.
UNCTAD Figures Show Record World Trade In Creative Goods 15/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Global exports of creative goods and services reached a record US$ 624 billion in 2011, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Such creative goods include arts and crafts, books, graphic and interior design works, fashion, films, music, new media, printed and visual media, as well as audiovisuals.
Industry Report Calls For Fight Against Counterfeits In Free Trade Zones 15/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report released today by the International Chamber of Commerce Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) calls for increased regulation in free trade zones to stop the facilitation of counterfeiting and piracy in these areas.
WHO Stats Show Medicines Remain Out Of Reach Of Poorest Patients 15/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment While the World Health Organization’s latest health numbers show that great progress has been made in improving the health in low-income countries, significant inequalities remain between people living in the richest and poorest countries. Access to even the most basic medicines continues to be a major challenge due to high prices.
EPO-UNEP Report Examines Patents And Clean Energy 15/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Patent Office (EPO) looks at the role of the patent system in clean energy technology (CET) transfers in Africa. One of the highlights of the report is that less than 1 percent of identified CET-related patent applications have been filed in Africa, despite there being a high level of potential in renewable energy sources.
Concerns Arise Over Implementation Of WIPO Development Agenda 14/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment This week’s meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation committee on development started with a firm display of divergent positions by member states. Developing countries said that member states should be consulted on WIPO’s participation in international events to ensure that a balanced view on IP is reflected. Developed countries said they considered it as superfluous micro-management of the UN organisation.
WTO Makes It Official: Azevedo Takes Over 1 September 14/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Trade Organization General Council today gave final approval to the appointment of Brazilian Amb. Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo as the next director general of the WTO. He will take over from Pascal Lamy on 1 September for a four-year term.