Brazil Seeks Knowledge Access, Diversity In WIPO Broadcasting Treaty 18/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Brazil on 17 November proposed that the World Intellectual Property Organisation tie its draft treaty on broadcasters’ rights to a recently agreed treaty on cultural diversity that was seen as strengthening nations’ ability to control information flows across their borders. Meanwhile, a coalition of non-governmental organisations is preparing a statement recommending clarifications and limits on […]
WIPO Copyright Committee To Meet After Year-Long Hiatus 16/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The last time the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) copyright committee met it ended in acrimony, with still-bitter memories for some member governments who argued their objections to the outcome were wrongly ignored. But after a year and numerous regional consultations, many participants are looking ahead to an agenda laden with important policy items […]
US Industry Group Seeks To Shift Geneva IP Debate 15/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Citing a need to change the debate on intellectual property issues, another US trade association has added Geneva to its list of lobbying stops. The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) has expanded its presence in Europe in recent years mainly at the European Union level in Brussels. But now the group is turning its attention […]
US Tech Industry Lobbyist Dodges “Wild West” Of WSIS 15/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment To get a sense of how this week’s second UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia is different from the first WSIS held two years ago, one need only talk to a US technology industry lobbyist who this year decided to stay away. “People keep asking me what am I doing here,” […]
Los Estados miembros de la OMPI reclaman medidas en materia de recursos humanos y financieros 10/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Los Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI) instaron a que la misma adopten una serie de recomendaciones independientes con el fin de sanear la gestión de la OMPI en materia de finanzas y recursos humanos. Los miembros también tomaron nota de una auditoría externa de la organización. La OMPI es […]
Asamblea de la OMPI renueva el Programa para el Desarrollo, Debates sobre patentes 10/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Octubre de 2005 Los Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual dieron nuevas órdenes de marcha al organismo de Naciones Unidas en áreas fundamentales de programas, presupuesto y administración. Los representantes de más alto nivel de los países ante la OMPI eludieron los asuntos más difíciles, y trataron más bien de encontrar […]
Industry Concerned About Development Agenda At WIPO 04/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment At the recent World Intellectual Property Organisation General Assembly, an effort by some developing countries to increase WIPO’s orientation toward development issues met with a lobbying campaign by representatives of developed country industries that would be affected by the reform. The issue cuts across a number of industries invested in intellectual property rights, including pharmaceuticals, […]
TRIPS Council Issues Still Alive For WTO Ministerial 28/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization committee handling intellectual property issues finished four days of meetings with minimal progress in real terms, but kept several issues alive for the December WTO ministerial in Hong Kong. The WTO Council on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) met from 25 to 28 October. Issues still […]
Pandemic Fears Raise Questions About WTO Health Waiver Opt-Out 27/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As nations prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic, some observers are raising questions about a seemingly obscure footnote in international trade law under which dozens of governments have agreed not to import cheap generic drugs made for poor countries. The concern is that the provision could make it difficult for those developed countries to […]
Intellectual Property Watch Announces New Associate Editor 27/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual Property Watch is happy to welcome Tove Iren Spissøy Gerhardsen to its ranks as its new Associate Editor. She will be covering a full range of IP policy issues, including the areas of health, trade, and other developments at the international, regional (such as the European Union) and national levels. Tove was most recently […]