Special Report: Will India Bend To US Pressure On IP Rights?31/01/2015 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 5 CommentsIt is no secret that the United States has been scaling up pressure on India to adopt intellectual property measures similar to those common in the United States and the European Union. But to what extent does India’s new government led by the business-friendly Narendra Modi see eye to eye with US official position? Can India, the “pharmacy of the world”, resolve the friction between pharmaceutical patents and access to affordable medicines without putting off foreign investors? The vitriolic and polarising debate surrounding these questions has got a fresh lease of life following US President Barack Obama’s landmark three-day visit to India this week.While Indian and American business moguls are bullish about the future, Indian generic drug-makers as well as health activists within and outside India are deeply anxious about the shape of things to come
IP Rights Must Remain Distinct From Fake Medicines Policy At WHO, Members Warn30/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentIntellectual property issues emerged at the World Health Organization Executive Board today as members discussed fake and substandard medicines, with some countries saying that the fight against such medicines should not serve as a pretext to enforce intellectual property rights and prevent access to safe generic medicines.
Antimicrobial Resistance, Budget, Reform Raise Debate At WHO Executive Board30/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentThe World Health Organization Executive Board this week has addressed the relationship between the UN agency and its funders and lobbyists, examined the budget for the next biennium, and looked at the issue of the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. Image Credits: Flickr – NIAID
Geneva Forecast On Internet Governance: 2015 Expected To Be A Decisive Year30/01/2015 by James Cote for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentA Geneva expert has offered his view on the top internet governance issues likely to come up in 2015. These include: cybersecurity, privacy, internet neutrality, and the proposed transition of control over a key underlying aspect of the internet.
Gavi Receives Record-Breaking Financial Pledges For Vaccines29/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentGavi, the Vaccine Alliance, boasted success this week as its biennial replenishment conference attracted US$ 7.5 billion in pledges, which is the organisation said is expected to allow 300 million additional children to be vaccinated in poor countries. The vaccine industry pledged support for “strong” immunisation programmes, while public health advocates called for significant price […]
Technical Investigators Have Rules To Follow In China’s Intellectual Property Courts29/01/2015 by Mingjiang Liu for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentBEIJING – With the Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou Intellectual Property Courts being put into operation late last year, the rules for technical investigators had been missing until 21 January, when the Supreme People’s Court released the Provisional Regulations of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues concerning the Participation of Technical Investigators in Intellectual Property Court Proceedings. This is China’s first of its kind making rules for technical investigators.
Looking Behind The Different Invalidation Rates Of Oppositions And IPRs28/01/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentOpposition proceedings in Europe have long served as a powerful tool for third parties to challenge the validity of a patent before the European Patent Office (EPO). Now, under the America Invents Act (effective September 2012), the United States (US) has two new procedures for challenging the validity of a patent before the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review. Current statistics indicate a higher invalidation rate for IPRs as compared to EPO oppositions.
The Challenge Of Complying (Or Not) With Communication Laws Online28/01/2015 by James Cote for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentIs it possible to fully comply with all the laws surrounding online communication? Michel Jaccard, founder of id est avocats says, “The answer is, ‘no.’” Speaking last week at the Club Suisse de la Presse, Jaccard made the case that when it comes to the online world, we should look beyond legal compliance and start thinking more strategically.
New Proposal To Extend WHO Action Plan On Innovation, IP Rights27/01/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a CommentAt the World Health Organization Executive Board today, a group of countries tabled a proposal to extend the WHO plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property until 2022. Yesterday, the Executive Board took note of the Global Vaccine Action Plan while some countries remarked on issues of affordability and accessibility. And today, one of the key discussions of the week – on the engagement of WHO with lobbyists, donors, and other interested non-governmental parties – has begun.
Ebola, Reform High On WHO Executive Board Agenda This Week26/01/2015 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 CommentThe World Health Organization Executive Board yesterday adopted a resolution on Ebola, on the eve of today’s opening of its 10-day meeting addressing a broad range of health issues, including several of relevance to the intellectual property and innovation community. Today, Italy requested that member states be involved in the setting of WHO guidelines, raising governance issues, while WHO Director General Margaret Chan called for strong health systems and reform to the WHO structure, and asked for room to move on WHO relations with industry.
