New Text On Broadcasting May Open Way To Fresh Discussions On Treaty At WIPO 03/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Years of discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization on a treaty protecting broadcasting organisations against piracy of their signals have not been enough to reach consensus language on core principles, such as who and what to protect, and what kind of rights should be granted. This week the newly appointed committee chair suggested that an informal text prepared by the previous chair be made a formal document to serve as a basis for further textual discussions.
WIPO Copyright Committee This Week: Broadcasting, Exceptions, Resale Rights, Digital Environment 01/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A packed week is underway for the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee. Delegates are hoping to find agreement on core principles of a treaty protecting broadcasting organisations’ rights, and continue work on possible limitations and exceptions to copyright for education, libraries, and research. In addition, they will decide if they want to work on the issue of resale right, and will consider copyright in the digital environment.
E-Commerce Is For Young People, Small Enterprises, Regulation Not Essential, Alibaba Founder Tells Geneva 27/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Electronic commerce should be the realm of young people under 30 and of small enterprises, according to Alibaba founder Jack Ma, speaking at an event on digital trade in Geneva this week. He also pressed countries to just get on the e-commerce train, and worry about regulations later. Meanwhile, World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevêdo said at the same event that without help small companies would no better survive the competition of large companies online than they did in the real world.
Winners Of Ideas4Change For UN Sustainable Development Goals 26/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Inventions to contribute to the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have been rewarded. A reactor which converts carbon dioxide into ethanol, a method for the detection of pesticides and contaminants in food, and renewable leather created from bacteria won the heart of the jury.
E-Commerce Serving Mostly Rich Economies; UNCTAD Launches Online Platform For Inclusivity 26/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Electronic commerce is booming but mostly for high income economies, speakers said at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which is holding a weeklong event on digital trade. Technical assistance is needed for developing countries to hop on the e-commerce train, they said, as UNCTAD launched a platform designed to help developing countries navigate the arcane of electronic trade.
Privacy-Related Worries Are Keeping Users From Using E-Commerce, Survey At UNCTAD Finds 25/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A global survey on internet security and trust found users are worried about privacy, and in particularly wary of cybercriminals, internet companies, and governments. This lack of trust is hurting the potential of electronic commerce, the survey revealed.
Developing Countries Lay Out E-Commerce Plan As Basis For WTO Ministerial 25/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A group of ministers from developing countries today released a roadmap for global digital commerce discussions, aimed at paving the way to discussions on electronic commerce at the World Trade Organization ministerial conference in December.
WHO: Hepatitis Death Toll Rising, Vaccination Works But Access To Tests And Medicines Still Issue 21/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Hepatitis-related mortality is on the rise, despite the existence of an efficient vaccine for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, according to the World Health Organization hepatitis report 2017 published today. One of the issues is that a majority of people are unaware of their condition due to limited access to affordable hepatitis testing. The price of the hepatitis C medicines has decreased in low-income countries, but still remains a barrier in upper-middle income and high-income countries, the WHO said.
QUNO Briefs: Food Security Needs Farmers In Global Discussions, Agricultural Biodiversity 21/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The participation of small-scale farmers at the table of international negotiations and the protection of agricultural biodiversity are key to food security, according to the Quaker United Nations Office, which published last month two policy briefs with a list of recommendations.
African Civil Society, Farmers Demand ARIPO Lift Blackout On Protocol Protecting Plant Varieties 20/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Civil society and farmers allege communication blackout from by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) about a protocol protecting new plant varieties. The 2015 protocol was highly criticised by those organisations as endangering traditional practices of African farmers. Draft regulations could not be adopted in December, but the regional organisation, according to the civil society and farmer groups, is keeping the outcome of the December meeting secret.