Unitaid Official Explains How ‘Breakthrough’ HIV Medicine Pricing Deal Brings Best To The Neediest 25/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK — In the midst of the high-level meetings of the annual United Nations General Assembly last week, health officials from the UN and foundations announced what they called a breakthrough pricing agreement that will speed the availability of “the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV treatment regimen containing [the key compound] dolutegravir to public sector purchasers in low- and middle-income countries at around $75 per person, per year.” A senior official at Unitaid, the drug purchasing mechanism that helped reach the deal, explained to Intellectual Property Watch how it came about and why this is significant.
WTO Market Access Committee Debates China, India Restrictions On IT, Russia’s GIs On Wine 22/09/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In the World Trade Organization Market Access Committee today, a range of member countries raised concern over China’s tariffs on semiconductors and India’s duties on a range of information technology products. In addition, the European Union raised concern over uneven application of lower tariffs for geographically indicated wines, favouring local producers.
New Collaboration To Deliver Open-Source Submission And Peer-Review Platform 22/09/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment This week, eLife and Collaborative Knowledge Foundation announced a partnership “to build a user-driven, open-source submission and peer-review platform” aimed at improving on existing industry models.
Panel Advances Key Public Interest Issues In Gene Editing Technology 21/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment WASHINGTON, DC — The still-emerging breakthrough CRISPR gene editing tool has the potential to transform the field and do enormous good for humankind. But let’s make sure we understand it better and ensure the public interest before launching into using it too widely. Meanwhile, companies and researchers are actively licensing the technology. That was a message of a set of panellists working close to CRISPR’s development, speaking at a recent event in Washington, DC.
WHO Issues Alarming Report On Coming Shortage Of Antibiotics 20/09/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report issued today by the World Health Organization shows a “serious lack” of new antibiotics in development, even as resistance to existing antibiotics are on the rise. The head of the WHO said the report shows an “urgent need” for investment into research and development. In addition, a second report today from WHO […]
USTR Launches Review Of IP In Thailand After Reported Improvements On Enforcement 16/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today announced an “out-of-cycle” review of Thailand’s intellectual property policies after what USTR said were reports of improvement on several IP issues including trademarks and enforcement. Another area of the review will be pharmaceuticals.
New Study Looks At IP And The Rise Of Mega-Regional Agreements 11/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A substantive new study with contributions from a range of leading thinkers in the field of intellectual property rights delves into the history and future of mega-regional trade agreements and the evolution of IP rights.
Industry Launches Transnational Alliance Against Illicit Trade 08/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An international industry alliance against illicit trade in a broad range of sectors was launched this week, aimed at reducing “staggering losses” by targeting supply chains, including transportation, digital channels, free trade zones and financial networks.
WIPO Study Chronicles Remarkable Rise In Trademark Filings In China Province 08/09/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A programme of promotion, education and incentives combined to bring about a remarkable rise in trademark filings in the Chinese municipality of Qingdao, a joint study of the World Intellectual Property Organization and Qingdao municipal government found.
CSIS Report Finds Tech, Innovation Partnership Opportunities In Developing Countries 07/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “There are clear opportunities to accelerate and expand opportunity through innovation and technology around the world,” finds a new report from the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). And the United States – and any other developed country – would do well to position itself as a “partner of choice for developing countries that want to transform their economies through science, technology and innovation,” it said. But strong intellectual property rights and a business-friendly environment are a necessity, it argues.