Industry Intellectual Property Enforcers Named To New Posts 08/12/2009 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) today announced the appointment of a new director of intellectual property and trade, effective 7 December. Meanwhile, in the United States, new coordinator for IP enforcement has been cleared.
Hotel Chain Fails In Effort To Use Trademark To Block Workers’ Union 08/12/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A North American hotel chain recently lost a case at the World Intellectual Property Organization against a critical workers’ union website it tried to silence through a trademark claim. A panellist under the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center ruled on 2 December that the union had a right to keep a website critical of the […]
Future Of Biotechnology And IP: Research Exemptions, Ceilings, Trade Secrets 07/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Patenting of biotechnologies is a growing trend and is increasingly raising questions about legal and ethical implications and a lack of harmonisation, according to speakers at a recent World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) symposium.
Panel: Doha Round Hijacked Trade, But Geopolitics May Force Adjustments 03/12/2009 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The future of the multilateral trading system looks bleak although global trade is in good shape overall, and developing countries are becoming heavier trading partners as a new geopolitical landscape is emerging, according to panellists in a concurrent event to this week’s World Trade Organization ministerial meeting.
New Classification Scheme For Clean Energy Patents To Facilitate Technology Transfer 02/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Technology transfer is essential to the mitigation of climate change but empirical data on the subject is scarce, according to panellists at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting. An initiative has been launched by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) to identify potential barriers to the transfer of clean technologies. Preliminary outcomes of the project were presented yesterday. One of those outcomes is a new classification scheme.
Outdated Multilateral Trade System Challenged By Climate Change, Regionalisation, Speakers Say 01/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Climate change measures might impact competitiveness and the multilateral trade system in its current form might not be equipped to address the issue, according to speakers at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting today. At the same time, regional trade agreements might constitute free electrons in the multilateral trade system, obeying to their own rules, said speakers at other sessions of the event.
Multilateral Trading System Under Scrutiny At WTO Ministerial 30/11/2009 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization’s first full ministerial in four years is not a negotiating forum. Rather, it is bringing together some 150 trade ministers for some soul-searching on the state of the multilateral system and the work of the WTO. Measuring the event’s success (or failure, as in some past ministerials) will be difficult, but new directions may be infused into the 15-year-old organisation and a high-level political statement may be used to drive trade negotiations forward in the coming year.
UN Eyes Next Steps On Food Security; Biotech Pleased With Summit Mention 26/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations food agency is working to strengthen a global food security committee following last week’s World Food Summit in Rome, but key observers deplored the lack of firm commitments at the gathering, while industry welcomed the mention of biotechnology in the summit declaration.
EU Telecom Package To Enter Into Force In December 24/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Parliament today formally approved an update to European telecommunications rules aimed at enforcing consumer rights and supporting a single European market. But the change might also leave the door open for legislation restricting the internet in member countries and potentially questionable traffic management practice by internet service providers, according to a consumer group.
Ecuador To Define Its Compulsory Licence Legislation 23/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Since Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa signed a decree on 23 October allowing compulsory licences, the national intellectual property office has been working on a mechanism for issuance those licences, which should be studied case by case, according to the national decree.