WHA68: Global Vaccine Plan Lagging; New Proposal To Lower Prices 19/05/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments An assessment of the World Health Organization Global Vaccine Action Plan aimed at delivering vaccination to all and boosting research into new vaccines found implementation to be “far off-track” in some areas. Today at the World Health Assembly, Libya put forward a new proposal at the Assembly to reduce vaccine prices and increase availability in developing countries.
World Health Assembly Opens: Time Of Change At WHO; G-7 Involved 18/05/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments “The Ebola outbreak shook this organization to its core,” World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan said in opening the WHO’s annual assembly today. And the need to better construct the world’s emergency response systems has the biggest economies on the podium, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaking as chair of the Group of 7.
France, Italy, Heavyweights Of Lisbon Appellations Of Origin System; Africa Struggling 16/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A small number of World Intellectual Property Organization members this week are negotiating to expand a treaty to protect geographical indications, products like Champagne. Under the old treaty, which protects appellations of origin, over half of the registrations are in France, and another large amount in Italy. According to an analysis, many of the 28 members of the treaty have zero or very few registrations, raising the question of how the new GI protection will be different if agreed.
Drafting Exercise For WIPO Delegates As Lisbon Members Advance On New Act of Treaty 15/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of a World Intellectual Property Organization-managed treaty protecting appellations of origin this week are working to add geographical indications to the treaty. They are addressing issues not yet agreed upon, including the sustainability of the system, and how to address prior use of such geographical indications by trademark owners.
WHO Leads Effort To Build R&D Roadmap For Future Epidemics 15/05/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization is working to learn from the fast response on research and development for Ebola that led to effective treatments in a short time. It hopes that this changes the way R&D for emergency vaccines is done forever.
US Ponders New Trademark Rights For Racial Slurs 14/05/2015 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Some words are too offensive to be registered trademarks. Racial slurs, derogatory names for ethnic groups, and other terms that disparage people can be denied registration, according to the vast majority of countries. The US, however, might soon back away from this anti-bigotry stance. The nation’s courts may be on the verge of ruling that the registration of derogatory terms is protected by the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech.
Ebola R&D, Antibiotic Resistance, Neglected Diseases Among Issues At This Year’s World Health Assembly 14/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The annual World Health Assembly opens next week with a focus on antimicrobial resistance, the Ebola outbreak, and research and development. Other subject of interests will be World Health Organization engagement with outside stakeholders, such as non-governmental organisations and the private sector, and a potential pooled fund for research and development for neglected diseases.
Substantive Work On Amendment of Lisbon System Starts; New Language Proposed 14/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization members negotiating a new version of a treaty protecting appellations of origin started fine-tuning the wording of the potential amended treaty’s articles, trying to find common language on remaining issues, such as trans-border geographical areas of origin, and the required information in applications.
Polish Government Drafts IP Law Reform 13/05/2015 by Jaroslaw Adamowski for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WARSAW — More than twenty years after Poland’s parliament passed the Authors’ and Related Rights law of 1994, the Polish government is drafting three bills to modify the country’s intellectual property legislation. The first of the drafts prepared by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National heritage was submitted to the Parliament in March, and is currently being deliberated, while the ministry is finishing work on the remaining two drafts.
WIPO Diplomatic Conference On GIs Starts With 28 Member Governments 11/05/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last-ditch efforts by a range of World Intellectual Property Organization members to join treaty negotiations at WIPO this week failed, as the 28 members of the treaty rejected a proposal to allow non-members. As a result, WIPO’s biggest-paying member called into question the future legitimacy of the UN organisation.