300 NGOs Demand No New E-Commerce Agenda At WTO Ministerial 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Some 300 global nongovernmental organisations have signed a letter voicing concerns about the agenda of the upcoming World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in December. In particular, they target the alleged push by some countries for a new agenda on digital trade, which they describe as “wrong.”
António Campinos Elected EPO President Starting Mid-2018 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments António Campinos of Portugal has been elected to serve as the next president of the European Patent Office (EPO). He will succeed Benoît Battistelli, who has served since 2010.
WIPO Faces Resistance To Ensuring Equal Treatment For LGBT Staff 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is an international organisation based in Geneva, focused mainly on technical and legal issues of patents, trademarks and the like. But it is also a specialised agency of the United Nations, with over 1,000 employees. At its annual General Assemblies this week, an issue has arisen at WIPO that serves as a reminder of the complexities of UN membership.
Clock Ticking For WIPO Assembly To Agree On Budget, Design Treaty, Genetic Resources 10/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment This morning no breakthroughs were reported by delegates chairing informal meetings to reach consensus before the end of the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly tomorrow. Agreement still has to be reached on the most political issues, such as the budget, the mandate of the committee on genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and where the next WIPO field offices will be hosted. Also under discussion is the composition of one of WIPO’s governing bodies, challenged by the Asia and Pacific Group, which wants more seats.
New Draft Text On Mandate For WIPO Committee On Genetic Resources, TK 10/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delegates rushing against time to find agreement on the next mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) are considering a third draft decision, issued this morning.
WHO Establishes High-Level Commission On Noncommunicable Diseases 10/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The UN World Health Organization today announced it has established a new high-level global commission on noncommunicable diseases, to be chaired by former WHO director general candidate Sania Nishtar of Pakistan.
WIPO Lisbon System: Fee Schedule, Common Regulations, Contributions To Quell Deficit 10/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a quest to address the projected deficit of a World Intellectual Property Organization treaty protecting geographical indications, treaty members have been gathering funds to try to eliminate the deficit. Separately last week, the treaty union annual assembly approved a fee schedule and regulations applying both to the treaty and its 2015 Act.
Mechanism To Assess Trade Agreements Needed, UN Forum On Access To Medicines Hears 10/10/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A mechanism to systematically assess trade agreements from a public health perspective, including accession agreements of the World Trade Organization and European Patent Office’s validation agreements is needed, says Ellen ´t Hoen, senior researcher at the Global Health Unit of the University Medical Centre, Groningen, The Netherlands. who publishes the Medicines Law and Policy website.
WIPO’s Program And Budget Stand-Off Highlights That Member States Must Act On WIPO’s Governance System 09/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the WIPO Annual Assemblies draw to a close this week, governments face a dramatic stand-off over the organisation’s biennial Program and Budget. Unless a series of its demands regarding the organisation’s financing and treaty-making processes are met, the United States is refusing to approve the WIPO budget – a decision Member States normally take by consensus. While sparring among governments over the budget and content of a UN organisation’s programs is not unusual, the debate at WIPO this year highlight challenges at the heart of its governance system, writes Carolyn Deere.
WIPO Upgrades Its Whistleblower Policy 09/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization has upgraded its whistleblower policy, coming more into line with best practices for protecting employees from retaliation for reporting alleged misconduct in the organisation. Time will tell if the changes to the policy will prove effective.