Ethiopia Urges Progress Towards International Regime On TK, TCEs 10/07/2007 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Ethiopia is an active participant at the 3-12 July World Intellectual Property Organization meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC). Ethiopia is among the developing countries eager to see an international regime for the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). Below follow […]
Review: WIPO Employees Accept Need For Organisational Change 10/07/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New A prevailing attitude among employees at the World Intellectual Property Organization is a “lack of pride” in the United Nations body and an acceptance of needed change to the organisational culture, according to a new report. The commissioned study also found a number of human resources problems, including soaring absence, and said […]
WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Talks Sent Back To Committee 22/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members on Friday recommended to move talks on a proposed broadcasters’ and cablecasters’ treaty back to committee level for further consideration, a day after rejecting a proposal to elevate the issue to formal treaty negotiations. The move could signify a shelving of the issue, some nine years after […]
WIPO Patent Agenda Expected To Be Revived In 2008 22/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After a one-year hiatus, the World Intellectual Property Organization likely will renew its agenda on patent policy issues in 2008 following members’ informal approval Friday of a study on patents to be conducted by the WIPO secretariat in autumn, according to officials.
WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Talks Break Down 22/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization negotiations for a treaty on rights for broadcasters broke down at the eleventh hour, according to participating government officials. A high-level final treaty negotiation scheduled for November will not take place, they said. The outcome will not be official until Friday, however, when the Standing Committee on Copyright […]
US To Seek 15 Percent Cut In WIPO Patent Fees; Idris Age Debated 20/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The United States is proposing a patent fee cut at the World Intellectual Property Organization in light of a sizeable financial surplus at the United Nations organization. The proposal is included in materials for the 25-28 June WIPO Program and Budget Committee (PBC) meeting, which may also address an internal “desk-to-desk” review […]
Battle For A New WIPO Treaty On Broadcasting Begins In Earnest 19/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members are engaged in a critical weeklong meeting that will determine the fate of a proposed WIPO treaty on broadcasters’ rights. At the end of a second slow day, it was unclear which way it will go, according to participants, but things are intensifying and WIPO is watching […]
In A ‘Major Achievement’, WIPO Negotiators Create New Development Mandate 18/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Members of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee addressing proposals for a WIPO Development Agenda last week potentially rewrote the UN body’s mandate, pending approval. Negotiators concluded a weeklong meeting with agreements on a wide range of proposals for new development-related activities – some hard to imagine for WIPO two years ago […]
WIPO Committee Reaches Breakthrough Agreements On Development Agenda 15/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New with Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) committee negotiating proposals this week for a stronger development focus at WIPO appeared to be on track to finishing work by meeting’s end Friday, though some hurdles remained. At press time, breakthrough agreements had been reached on contentious issues such as […]
WIPO Development Agenda Meeting Starts Directly With Proposals 12/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New with Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A weeklong meeting on proposals to change the World Intellectual Property Organization mandate or practices toward development began almost immediately with a focus on substantive proposals, according to participating officials. But the more difficult ones are still to come. The 11-15 June meeting of the Provisional Committee […]