Monsanto v. Bowman: Stocktaking After Supreme Court Hearings 05/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the case opposing a US farmer to agro-industry giant Monsanto on the issue of patent exhaustion in patented seeds. Lead lawyers in the case and others offered comments on the heels of the hearing, while the Supreme Court Justices are considering the arguments and are expected to reach a decision sometime this spring.
WTO: LDCs To Press For Extension For TRIPS, Plain Packaging Back 26/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Least developed countries next week will ask that World Trade Organization members grant them another extension of the transition period to enforce intellectual property protection measures beyond the current date of 1 July 2013. In addition, the issues of plain packaging for tobacco products and innovation will be back on the agenda of the WTO intellectual property committee.
WIPO Blind Treaty Text Shapes Up On Last Day; More Drafting In April 23/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A week of arduous negotiations and doubts at the World Intellectual Property Organization about progress on a text to become a treaty for the benefit of visually impaired people was concluded positively yesterday with a sigh of relief by most delegations, and observers. A new text was issued and even though most deemed that crucial issues were addressed, some are outstanding and delegates will meet again in April to continue their drafting efforts.
WIPO Treaty For The Blind: Rightsholders Seek Safeguards, Civil Society Seeks Real Access 21/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments While country delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization are working to find consensus on a text to become a treaty for the benefit of blind and visually impaired people, industry and non-governmental organisations are pushing their agendas.
WIPO Negotiations: Latest Text Of Treaty For The Blind Is Short On Progress 21/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new version of a text to become a treaty facilitating access to books and information for blind and visually impaired people was issued this morning at the World Intellectual Property Organization amidst concerns that a lot of ground still needs to be covered before the end of the meeting.
Blind Treaty Discussions Could Wander, All Sides Ask For Focus 20/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Consensus remains elusive for World Intellectual Property Organization trying to prepare a text for final negotiations on an international instrument facilitating access to books and information to blind people, and some countries are growing concerned.
Closed Discussions At WIPO On Treaty For Blind, As New Text Emerges 19/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization working to clean the text of a potential treaty facilitating access to books for visually impaired people produced a new version this morning.
Monsanto, Myriad: Two US Legal Cases Shaking Biotech Industries 18/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The biotechnology industry has growing concerns over decisions to be taken this year by the United States Supreme Court in two cases involving the patenting of human genes and the exhaustion of patent rights in the context of easily reproducible products. Several areas of biotechnology could be affected by unfavourable decisions, provoking legal uncertainty and discouraging innovation, industry representatives said in a recent telephone conference. In the meantime, civil society stands fast in opposition.
Indian Users’ Perspective On WIPO Negotiations On Treaty For Visually Impaired 16/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment South-East Asia is host to one-third of the world’s 39 million blind people. Over 20 million live in India alone. This week’s special session of the World Intellectual Property Organization aims to clean up the text of an international treaty to facilitate access to books for the blind and visually impaired community. It is thus of prime importance for India, and some there worry that issues such as commercial availability could undermine the treaty’s effectiveness.
Report On First Round Of Projects Of Seed Treaty Benefit-Sharing Fund 16/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture published a report providing financial and technical information on the first project portfolio of its Benefit-sharing Fund.