New Draft Text Issued By WIPO Negotiators For Visually Impaired Treaty 19/06/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organization delegates this week have launched into negotiations expected to yield the first treaty creating exceptions and limitations to copyright for the benefit of visually impaired people. Many delegations have said much work remained to be done in the next ten days to breach differences. A new text was released this evening on commercial availability.
EU Commissioner: PRISM Will Hurt US Businesses, Create EU Opportunities 17/06/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European Commission Vice-President responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, today told a US business group that revelations about the United States government’s mass surveillance programmes would hurt US businesses, but create opportunities for European business. She also said the US should have been more transparent with the European Union and allow US companies to be more transparent, and risks undermining trust in digital services.
WIPO-WTO-WHO Joint Symposium On Medical Innovation In July 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Three Geneva-based international organisations are continuing their collaboration on issues of health and innovation policy as it cuts across intellectual property rights by planning a 5 July symposium on “changing business models” in medical innovation.
UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution Promoting Medicines Access 13/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution urging governments to encourage technology development and transfer and to apply intellectual property rights measures in ways that avoid creating barriers to trade in “affordable, safe, efficacious and quality medicines.” The resolution includes references to IP flexibilities in international trade law and to “delinkage” of R&D costs with the price of health products.
US Businesses Urge Obama To Stoke Trade War With India 07/06/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 5 Comments The heads of seventeen United States industry associations, including the US Chamber of Commerce, today issued a letter to President Barack Obama alleging that the Indian government is engaging in discriminating policies against US exports and encouraging swift action by the US government. Among the concerns is the country’s treatment of patents.
White House Takes Major Action Against “Patent Trolls” 04/06/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The White House today announced “major steps to improve innovation in high tech patents” by restricting activities of “patent assertion entities,” also known as “patent trolls.” The list included five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations.
European Commissioner Kroes Hints At Actions To Preserve Open Internet 04/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, today gave some hints about upcoming regulations intended to ensure competition in cross-border European internet.
MPAA, US Blind Federation Urge Narrow Focus In WIPO Treaty For Blind 30/05/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The US film industry and advocates for the blind joined forces today to urge World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators to keep treaty talks focussed on the core issue of making more books available to the blind and visually impaired. The joint statement appeared to be aimed at reining in stakeholders on both sides of the international debate.
World Health Assembly: Pandemic Flu Framework Clears Committee 27/05/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Member states gathered at the annual World Health Assembly took note of a report on its pandemic influenza preparedness (PIP) framework amid encouragement by developed countries that standard agreements for transferring materials be completed, and reminders from some developing countries of the need for fair access and benefit-sharing of the resulting treatments.
At WTO, LDC Fight For Extension Of TRIPS Transition Continues 24/05/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Over the past week or so, least-developed country (LDC) members of the World Trade Organization have held their own in a closed room with the world’s biggest economies as they worked out details of a request by the LDCs to extend the deadline by which they must enforce WTO intellectual property rules.