UNITAID Report On Delinking R&D Costs From Medicines Prices 28/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delinkage of research and development costs from medicines prices could “vastly expand” access to medicines by drastically dropping costs of the knowledge component of health products, innovative medicines R&D facility UNITAID says in a new report.
Companies Can Inoculate Themselves Against Patent Trolls Through Their Supply Chain 24/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The well-worn phrase “no man is an island” may reflect a fundamental truth about the human condition, but it also provides wisdom into how to protect your company against patent trolls, writes Tim Wilson.
Wired – UNICEF Invests $9m In ‘Open Source’ Tech To Save Children’s Lives 03/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations will fund 60 startups to create open source technologies to improve the lives of children in developing countries. Unicef, the children’s charity run by the UN, will channel more than $9 million into startups based on venture capital-style investing. But it isn’t concerned if the companies fail.
The Conversation – Netflix’s VPN Ban Proves We Need To Develop A Global, Legal Digital Marketplace 03/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In mid-January, Netflix announced a ban on the use of proxies, unblockers, and virtual private networks (VPNs)—all technical work-arounds to view movies and TV programs unavailable in the subscriber’s country. This announcement coincided with the company’s global service launch into more than 130 new markets.
FAO Head Says Livestock Diversity Is Crucial For Future Food Security On A Harsher Planet 27/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva writes: Our livestock is increasingly being raised indoors and fed on concentrate feed that is often imported. Intensive production of chickens, pigs and dairy cows is based on a few breeds worldwide. These developments are risky, as we and future generations are losing the potential to adapt livestock production systems to increasingly harsh conditions such as those associated with higher temperatures and shortages of nutritious feeds.
Medicines Patent Pool Announces Sub-Licensing Agreements For Hepatitis C Generics 20/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Jahan ‘Harry’ Taubman-Rezakhanlou for Intellectual Property Watch The Medicines Patent Pool today announced its first round of sub-licensing agreements with four generic manufacturers for the production and sale of a generic line of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s daclatasvir to 112 lower-to middle income countries.
A Look At The Marrakesh Treaty Ratification In Brazil 14/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The Marrakesh Treaty, first of its kind, will enter into force three months after the deposit of the instruments of ratification or accession by 20 eligible countries. So far, thirteen have done so. Brazil, which was one of the main proponents and negotiators, deposited its ratification of the treaty on December 11, 2015, after the yearlong internal legislative process. The key question we are trying to face here is how the ratification of this treaty may impact Brazilian copyright legislation and the interpretation of the limitations.
Opportunities And Challenges That The Internet Of Things Creates 13/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Over the past few years, we’ve seen paramount change in the way we access the internet – it started with desktops and soon shifted to mobile devices. But the world hasn’t been waiting for long to see it grow into something huge. Internet intelligence is now knocking at the door of our homes, cities, and businesses – this is what you’ve heard of as the Internet of Things (IoT).
How To Manage Patent Costs With Quality Applications, Accurate Translations 13/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The number of patent applications filed worldwide continues to increase, up by 4.6 percent in 2014 for a total of nearly 2.7 million, according to the 2015 edition of the World Intellectual Property Indicators. The increasing number of patents filed worldwide demonstrates the strength of ongoing innovation and the value companies put on protecting their intellectual property where they wish to do business. The filing numbers would likely be even higher, and across more countries, if the filers were more prepared for the costs associated with filing patents.
50+ US Congress Members Urge Reasonable Licensing Terms For Government-Funded Medical Patents 11/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments More than 50 members of the United States Congress today sent a letter urging the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to exercise their legal authority to require medical patents that have emerged from government-funded medical research projects to be licensed on reasonable and affordable terms for public use.