Civil Society-Led Monsanto Tribunal Finds Agro-Giant Guilty On All Counts 19/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An international civil society tribunal has found that agro-business multinational Monsanto conducts activities that violate basic human rights. The five international judges of the Monsanto Tribunal presented their condemning verdict yesterday.
Neglected Tropical Diseases: Gates Celebrates Industry Contribution, Chan Concurs 19/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Five years after health institutions and actors including pharmaceutical companies endorsed the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases, meant to support the World Health Organization to control and eradicate 10 specific diseases by 2020, new commitments were announced today (18 April) in Geneva.
Industry Group Nears Completion Of List Of Geographical Indications Worldwide 14/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A private sector project to identify and compile all geographical indications in the world in a database is expected to be completed in the fall. The compilation is aimed at helping intellectual property professionals, trademark owners, and other users in their decision-making, and will be freely available, according to the organization for an international Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn). There is currently no international register of GIs.
Strong Application Of GIs May Be Detrimental To Generic Products, Speakers Say 14/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The protection of geographical indications could impede the ability of long-term producers to continue using what they consider as being generic names, according to several speakers at an event last month at the World Intellectual Property Organization. The discussion is also ongoing at the World Trade Organization in the context of barriers to trade. The side event focused on the case of danbo cheese, a Danish cheese manufactured in several countries, particularly in Uruguay.
Germany Brings Health Issues To G20; First Health Ministers Meeting In May 13/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Global health matters are entering into the Group of Twenty (G20) agenda under the German presidency of the group, which started in December 2016. The first-ever G20 Health Ministers’ meeting is scheduled to take place in May, before the regular G20 meeting in July. This week, a professor from the Graduate Institute of Geneva explained how health has become part of the G20 agenda.
Looking Long-Term, Lisbon System Members Reach Into Wallets To Bail System Out 07/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Pressed to come up with solutions to eliminate the deficit of a World Intellectual Property Organization treaty protecting appellations of origins, members reached into their pocket and came up with close to two-thirds of the needed sum of US$1.5 million.
UNCTAD Electronic Commerce Week: Exploring How All Can Benefit 06/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Later this month, the third edition of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development week dedicated to electronic commerce will take place. With a value estimated at US$22 trillion globally, e-commerce is booming for business, but mostly still escaping developing countries.
UPOV This Week Focused On International Cooperation System; Benin Curiously Ratifies Twice 05/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) governing body is meeting this week, along with its technical, and consultative committees. On the agenda is a potential international system of cooperation, disputed by civil society. Separately, Benin, a least-developed country, appears to be in the process of ratifying the UPOV convention, raising questions since a regional organisation of which Benin is part already joined UPOV in 2014.
Advisory Group Supports Industry Demand For Audit Of WHO Pandemic Flu Framework 05/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Health Organization has been recommended to provide details on its spending of funds provided to its pandemic influenza framework by the private sector.
WIPO Committee Moves Ahead On Country Names, Tech Designs, Not GIs 03/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Establishing a work programme on geographical indications at the World Intellectual Property Organization last week proved elusive. A tentative text and time frame by the chair of the committee on trademark and geographical indications (GIs) issued on the last day of the committee did not meet the approval of some member states. The committee did agree on a set of tasks for the WIPO secretariat on the protection of country names against registration as trademarks, and on the protection of new technological designs, such as icons and type fonts.