Interviews: What Protection Of Traditional Knowledge Means To Indigenous Peoples 20/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization member states in July concluded the biennium work of the committee tasked with finding agreement on international legal tools to prevent misappropriation and misuse of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Indigenous peoples and local communities are holders of a substantial part of this knowledge and are demanding that it be protected against misappropriation but also against its use without their consent. Intellectual Property Watch recently conducted two interviews on the issue with different indigenous groups.
New WTO Director General Names His Four Deputy DGs 19/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Incoming World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo has announced the appointment of his four deputies, coming from China, Germany, Nigeria and the United States. He also named his chief of staff, from Australia.
WHO Report Calls For Research To Achieve Universal Health Coverage 19/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Health Organization last week released a new report highlighting how global and local research can help design a system for universal health coverage tailored to each country’s specific needs.
Copyright Groups Question Fair Use In Australian Copyright Reform 06/08/2013 by Alessandro Marongiu for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Among hundreds of comments in the context of an ongoing Australian inquiry on copyright exceptions in the digital economy, organisations representing the interests of creative industries cast doubt on the inclusion of a fair use exception in Australian copyright law.
Medicines Patent Pool, Roche Strike HIV-Related Medicine Pricing Agreement 05/08/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Medicines Patent Pool today announced an agreement with Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche to increase access and reduce the cost of a medicine that treats a viral infection in people with weakened immune systems, specifically for people living with HIV.
US Justice Department Proposes Remedy In E-Books Case 02/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) today announced its remedy proposal to address Apple’s anticompetitive conduct to raise e-book prices. The proposal follows a July decision by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York finding that Apple conspired with five major publishers to fix the prices of e-books in the United States.
Reactions To Treaty On Plant Genetic Resources For Food And Agriculture 02/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has been the subject of various comments this week.
What Does WTO Extension For LDCs To Enforce IP Mean For Pharmaceuticals? 02/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The recent extension granted by World Trade Organization members to least developed countries giving 8 more years to implement international intellectual property protection rules threw a shroud of confusion over a parallel WTO waiver for pharmaceutical products conferred on least developed countries until 2016. In an attempt to shed some light on the issue, several experts were asked for their reflections on the consequences of the new extension.
International Coalition Counters TPP Secrecy With Open Copyright Forum 01/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A coalition of international public interest and business organisations has launched an open, crowdsourced platform to discuss what copyright should look like under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
Governments Disagree On GI Protection At TLD Level 01/08/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Governments met recently to try to decide: Should special protection be provided online for geographical indications, in addition to trademark rights, geographical names and names of international organisations?