Non-Violation Complaints At WTO – Possible Extension Of Moratorium For Two Years 19/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Negotiators at the World Trade Organization met yesterday to try to agree on the fate of a moratorium shielding intellectual property from non-violation complaints. A two-year extension of the moratorium might be the compromise solution found to breach differences, according to sources.
Strength In Unity: Mercosur Countries Join To Negotiate Lower Prices For Hepatitis C and HIV Drugs 18/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments South American countries are negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to obtain common cheaper prices for high-cost medicines. The first target of initial negotiations delivered lower prices for hepatitis C and HIV. Further negotiations will be geared to additional hepatitis C, HIV and oncology medicines.
Review Of WIPO Development Agenda Recommendations Ongoing 18/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An independent review of how the World Intellectual Property Organization is implementing the recommendations of its Development Agenda is ongoing. A survey is expected to be sent soon to WIPO members as well as international organisations and nongovernmental organisations participating in the WIPO Committee on Development and IP (CDIP).
Tech Transfer, Better Regulation, Policy Reform Can Spur Growth In East Africa’s Pharma Sector, Experts Say 18/11/2015 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — Amid concerns over cheap imports, substandard products and counterfeits, pharmaceutical experts in East Africa are set to hold a summit early next year to discuss key challenges facing the industry in the region. Experts at the event announcement in Nairobi today stressed that technology transfer, better regulation and policy reforms can accelerate growth and spur innovation in the sector.
Life After WIPO: New Nigerian Foreign Minister Onyeama Puts Experience To Use 17/11/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Former World Intellectual Property Organization Deputy Director General Geoffrey Onyeama has been named the new minister of foreign affairs of Nigeria. And according to Nigerian press reports, he plans to use IP and innovation to help Nigeria’s economy, and plans to support the new government’s high-profile efforts against corruption.
Fake EFF Website Was Malicious, WIPO Panel Rules 17/11/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A cybersquatter based in Indonesia who created a website falsely using the Electronic Frontier Foundation name but offering malware did so in bad faith and with malicious intent, a World Intellectual Property Organization panellist has found.
WTO Discussions On Non-Violation Complaints Might Be Near Consensus, Sources Say 17/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Last month, the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property was suspended over two contentious items. One item left open is the proposed extension of a moratorium which leaves intellectual property outside of a mechanism through which one WTO member can go after another despite no violation of a WTO agreement. According to sources, a solution might be within reach.
New Proposal For Inclusion Of Disclosure Requirement In Design Treaty; Group B Still Not Takers 17/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The draft text of a treaty to help international designers apply for protection has been on the table at the World Intellectual Property Organization for some time, and has been under discussion again this week. Two questions have prevented its completion. One is whether technical assistance for developing countries should be part of the text, and the other is how to accommodate a request for a provision allowing countries to ask for disclosure of the origin of the design, to prevent misappropriation.
Publishers Not Entitled To Compensation Under Reprography Exception, EU High Court Rules 17/11/2015 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European reproduction schemes for compensating authors don’t cover publishers, the European Court of Justice said in a 12 November judgment in Hewlett-Packard Belgium SPRL v. Reprobel SCRL and Epson Europe BV.
WHO Member State Mechanism On Fake Medicines Meeting This Week 17/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment This week the World Health Organization member state mechanism on falsified medicines is meeting in Geneva with a long agenda. In particular, the meeting is expected to consider a process for the mechanism review, the participation of the WHO in a global committee on the quality of health products, and several proposals including tracking systems and awareness campaigns.