WHO Board: UN Report On Medicines Too Hot; DG Candidates To Be Narrowed 23/01/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments At the opening of the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting today, a call by India for an agenda item on the report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines was denied. Meanwhile, WHO’s director general underlined the success of the organisation over the last year, including new financing arrangements with industry groups to finance the WHO Prequalification Programme. But all eyes are riveted to the election process for the new WHO director general, as three out of the six candidates are expected to be short-listed this week.
Disruptive Technologies Pose Challenge To IP Protection, Speakers In Thailand Say 23/01/2017 by Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BANGKOK – So-called disruptive innovation – currently referring to the technologies of Internet of Things, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and big data – are changing the way people live their life and affecting existing traditional industries, but current legal regimes are unequipped to deal with these changes yet, government and private experts said at a recent forum here.
Giving Process Its Due When An SDO Changes Rules Of The Game 22/01/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment George Willingmyre writes: The process a Standards Developing Organization (SDO) employs to revise its patent policy is an aspect of the SDO’s competitive posture in the global marketplace. A dearth of research exists on the processes SDOs employ to revise their patent policies. Generally, the processes an SDO uses to revise its patent policy are part of the governance processes of the SDO. As a baseline, the governance processes of an SDO must be consistent with the applicable legal system defining what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. What an SDO says about its governance processes is a further consideration. Thus the procedures themselves, the procedures’ relationship to the applicable legal system and what the SDO says about the procedures all play a role in understanding how an SDO revises its patent policy.
IP Law In The US: A Look Ahead 20/01/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Whatever else could be said of 2016, it was undeniably interesting. That’s likely to be true, too, for 2017. Even the staid area of US Intellectual Property Law may face dramatic changes. Here’s the likely most important of those changes.
World Economic Forum Hears Hopes And Fears: Too Early To Predict Trade War 19/01/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It is too early to push the panic button with regard to the rise of protectionism under new US President Donald Trump, David Cote, CEO of US multinational Honeywell, said on a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum today in Davos.
Groups Seek Assurance Of Affordable Zika Vaccine From US Army Exclusive Licence 19/01/2017 by Kim Treanor for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A range of civil society organisations have issued a public statement opposing the United States Army’s proposed grant of an exclusive licence on technology necessary to produce a Zika vaccine to French pharmaceutical company Sanofi. The letter cites concerns that the exclusive licence might violate US law and could lead to high priced medicines as consumers buy back taxpayer-funded research.
Kenyan Livestock Breeders Call For Protection Of Their IP Rights 19/01/2017 by Justus Wanzala for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The lack of an intellectual property regime for animal breeding in Kenya is undermining efforts to curb illegal exploitation of Kenyan animal genetic resources, according to industry representatives.
Industry Initiative Against Non-Communicable Diseases Launched At WEF 19/01/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nearly two dozen top biopharmaceutical companies have launched a global initiative intended to increase access to prevention and care of non-transmitted diseases in low and lower-middle income countries.
Achieving SDG Health Targets Using ‘The Vital Role Of Law’ 18/01/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Effective laws, including those around intellectual property rights, and an enabling legal environment, are as essential to a healthy society as clean water, a group made up of a representative of the World Health Organization, academics and a legal expert for a civil society group, have asserted while launching a key report.
Free Software Foundation Makes ‘Major Overhaul’ In High Priority Projects 18/01/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Coolness alert! The Free Software Foundation has announced an updated list of high priority projects on a global scale. Top priorities now include a free software phone operating system, clouds, hardware, voice and video chat, inclusiveness, security and internationalisation of free software.