Intellectual Property: A Means To An Access And Benefit-Sharing End? 14/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara Intellectual property is a useful leveraging tool for developing countries eager to see the creation of a global access and benefit-sharing regime on genetic resource use, said a recent panel on biodiversity protections in international law. “Benefit-sharing was viewed as an integral part of the main bargain between developed and developing countries” when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first formed, said Timothy Hodges, a Canadian official who co-chairs an access and benefit-sharing working group under the CBD.
Advocates Say Geographical Indications Will Benefit Developing Nations 11/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara An association of producers of geographical indications – product names associated with a particular place and characteristics – is promoting the idea that extending the high-level protection of geographic indications currently enjoyed by wines and spirits to other goods (called GI extension) is in the interest of developing countries. GI extension is […]
Final Decisions of Convention on Biological Diversity Governing Body Available 10/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara The final decisions of the ninth and most recent meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) organising body have been released, which include the breakthrough results of a work plan for achieving an international access and benefit-sharing regime. While not appearing significantly different than prior versions discussed in this paper, the […]
Patent Pooling Is Next Step For Innovative Drug Purchasing Agency 09/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara A “landmark” decision was made last week by a unique intergovernmental initiative for drug financing in poor and underserved areas: an agreement on the usefulness of sharing intellectual property rights to lower costs and increase quality of needed medicines. At its eighth executive board meeting in Geneva on 2 and 3 July, […]
July Edition of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 08/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Reporter features the most important news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the IP community at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Geneva missions, regional and national IP offices, industry and non-governmental organisations, plus News Briefs on reports and events that do not […]
Summary Text From WCO Policy Commission 59th Session Available 30/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Customs Organization’s advisory body met from 23 – 24 June, where IP enforcement via customs offices was among issues discussed. This document is a summary of recommendations made to the WCO’s decision-making Council.
Member Nations Balk At World Customs Organization IP Enforcement Push 27/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments [Note: the summary text of the Policy Commission session is now available here] By Kaitlin Mara Concerns ran high in some developing countries last week that their voices have been largely absent from a draft set of standards for heightened intellectual property enforcement advancing rapidly at the World Customs Organization. With the draft standards sent […]
WIPO Patent Committee Names Chair, Begins Focus On Global Status Report 23/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara The World Intellectual Property Organization committee charged with discussing international patent law kicked off its first formal meeting in three years today with the election of a Chilean chair and the start of work on a WIPO secretariat report on the global patent system that could form the basis for future work. […]
Technical Assistance A Key Point Of Discussion At TRIPS Council 19/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara Uganda this week submitted a plan for addressing its priority needs on trade and intellectual property to the World Trade Organization committee on IP, making the nation the first least-developed country to lay out a detailed strategy for implementing its obligations under WTO rules. Update: Uganda’s document on trade and intellectual property […]
Standing Committee On The Law Of Patents To Reconvene After Two Year Hiatus 19/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara The World Intellectual Property Organization committee charged with coordinating relationships between national patent regimes will meet next week for the first time since an informal session in April 2006. It is the first formal convening since June 2005. The bulk of the meeting will be spent discussing future work for the committee, […]