France Reaches Agreement With Gilead To Drop Prices Of Hepatitis C Treatment 31/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The French Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced today that the ministry has negotiated with pharmaceutical company Gilead to bring down the prices of hepatitis C medicines.
NGOs Detail Changes For Public Health In RCEP Asian Trade Pact 31/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Concerns continue to grow among civil society about provisions in a major trade agreement in the Asian region. Of specific worry is the intellectual property chapter containing in particular a data exclusivity clause, and the linkage between the investment chapter and the IP chapter.
New Draft Work Programme On GIs At WIPO; Industrial Design Pushed To General Assembly 29/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A tentative way to continue conversing about geographical indications (GIs) at the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on trademarks and GIs was tabled by the committee chair today. The suggested approach includes a questionnaire to member states on the different ways GIs are addressed by national and regional systems. Meanwhile, a potential design law treaty was pushed off to the next WIPO General Assembly, held in autumn.
Developing Countries Weigh Restarting Talks For TRIPS Amendment On Biological Resources 29/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW DELHI, India — Biopiracy is ongoing in many developing countries, and as long as there are no international obligations for patent applicants to disclose the origin of the genetic resources or traditional knowledge they use, the issue will endure, according to speakers at a recent conference in New Delhi. The broken conversation at the World Trade Organization needs to be rekindled so that an international regime of protection is set up, they said.
WHO Flu Framework Looks At Virus Genetic Information Sharing, Private Sector Contribution 28/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments How to deal with genetic information rather than physical samples of pandemic influenza virus continues to be discussed at the World Health Organization. For the moment, only physical samples are part of a framework of access and benefit sharing set up and run by the WHO. This week, the framework advisory group is meeting and according to sources, suggested steps to establish guidance on how to address virus genetic information will be shared by the WHO during the meeting.
UK Professor Charts Path To Reconciling IP Rights, Farmers’ Rights 27/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The role of farmers in agricultural innovation can be perceived in different ways. Proponents of intellectual property rights view farmers mainly as recipients of innovation, while others view farmers as main drivers of innovation. Considering those seemingly contradictory points of views, some measures could help reconcile IP rights and farmers’ rights, a UK professor in international governance has said.
Country Names As IP, Geographical Indications, Industrial Designs At WIPO Next Week 23/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment What can you do if you are a country and a private company has registered your name as a trademark, preventing even your own companies from using your name? The issue is expected to be discussed at next week’s World Intellectual Property Organization’s committee on trademarks. The meeting also includes a special session illustrating practices of national and regional protection of geographical indications. However, the question remains whether or not delegates will discuss a draft treaty text on industrial designs, after that conversation was pushed back in the fall.
EU Parliament: No Commercial Availability Or Compensation In Marrakesh Implementation 23/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Parliament announced today that its Legal Affairs Committee approved new draft legislation to bring European Union law into line with an international treaty providing copyright exceptions for special format books for visually impaired people. Limitations to the scope of the treaty, such as commercial availability or compensation, were disregarded by Parliament members.
Leaked Text: Is EU Tempted By Too Many Safeguards Limiting The Scope Of Blind Treaty? 21/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the ratification by the European Union of an international treaty creating an exception to copyright for visually impaired people nears, a leaked text shows that the directive implementing the treaty in the EU might come with safeguards limiting the scope of the treaty, allegedly pushed by the publishing industry.
UN Development Programme Calls For Reform Of IP And Investor Protection Regimes 21/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A United Nations Development Programme report released today places importance on transforming global institutions, and establishing fair trade and investment rules. The report calls for global reform of the intellectual property rights regime and investor protection regime. In addition, the report ranks countries on their human development level, putting Norway first followed by Australia and Switzerland.