WHO Reviews Its Essential Medicines List; Some New Candidates Under Patent 21/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization is reviewing its list of essential medicines this week. Over 70 candidate medicines are expected to be assessed by an Expert Committee. Some of those medicines are under patent and highly priced, which poses an accessibility challenge.
Can The Internet Be Saved Without Harming Democracy? 20/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment [From The Guardian-] Citizens of the internet: here is some welcome news. Your downtrodden digital rights might be getting a well-overdue booster shot. But it comes with some warnings. Last week in the Hague, a high-level group of 29 internet policymakers and influencers – including prominent ex-US and UK security and intelligence officials Michael Chertoff, Joseph Nye, Melissa Hathaway and David Omand – issued a clarion call for the protection and promotion of human rights online. Self-styled the Global Commission on Internet Governance, the group made this call as part of the broader objective of restoring trust and confidence in the internet.
WHO Opens Its Database Of Medicines Side Effects To The Public 20/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization has announced that its Global Medicines Safety Database is now open to the general public. The database named VigiAccess can now be accessed on any computer or smartphone in the world.
German Big Brother Awards To German Secret Service, Interior Minister, And Barbie 20/04/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Mattel’s and Toytalks’ “Hello Barbie” Friday night received a Big Brother Award in Germany. The US doll found itself in illustrious company for the negative privacy award with two German Ministers of the Interior, a Minister of Health, several Amazon ventures and Elance-O-Desk. The Organization Digital Courage has handed out the awards since 2000.
Wave Of Protests Against TTIP, CETA, TISA 19/04/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A wave of protest marches and information events against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) yesterday swept across Europe, the US, Canada and number of other countries. On the eve of the 9th TTIP negotiation round set for New York (20-24 April), thousands took to the streets in the European capitals of London, Brussels and Helsinki.
Music Is Focus For This Year’s International IP Day At WIPO 17/04/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Music is the chosen theme of the World Intellectual Property Organization to celebrate this year’s World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April. The organisation has a series of events planned starting next week, and in particular a roundtable on the future of the music industry with a panel of speakers from across the world.
WIPO Development Committee To Hear Report On Implementation, Discuss Patent Flexibilities 17/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Member governments will discuss the development dimension of the World Intellectual Property Organization next week, looking in particular at how the United Nations organisation is implementing the recommendations of its Development Agenda in its activities.
EPO President Battistelli Tells Of ‘Patent Wars’, As IP5 Consolidate Work 17/04/2015 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN – A growing patent examination workload and increasing global anti-IP sentiment are some of the challenges the European Patent Office faces, according to EPO President Benoit Battistelli.
Harmonised Filing System For Plant Variety Protection Discussed At UPOV 16/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An industry proposal calling for a harmonised procedure to simplify applications for new varieties of plants and heighten intellectual property protection stirred debate at the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) last month.
Experts Debate Medicines Access In South Africa And Beyond 15/04/2015 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments CAPE TOWN – Pharmaceutical patents and access to medicines was the focus of an animated panel discussion by experts offering divergent views on the topic at intellectual property group FICPI’s 2015 World Congress, currently underway in Cape Town, South Africa.