WTO Dispute Body Hears Sides On Australia Tobacco Law 20/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday heard arguments by parties in a dispute about Australia’s new public health law requiring tobacco imports to be in plain packaging as a way to discourage tobacco use. Honduras presented a challenge to the Australian law, saying it is not in line with WTO rules on intellectual property rights, while Australia said it is a “sound, well-considered” action in the name of public health.
WHO Denies Industry Money Unduly Influencing Non-Communicable Disease Fight 19/11/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan today issued a statement attempting to clarify the UN agency’s relationship with the industries – like producers of junk food and soda – in line to be regulated as the UN moves to battle globally rising noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Medicines Patent Pool Names New Director 14/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Greg Perry, a longtime leader in the European generics industry, has been named the new executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool, a cutting-edge Geneva-based group working to increase access to affordable, high-quality medicines for HIV/AIDS patients in low and middle income countries.
Next Global Fund Director To Be Chosen From Four Candidates This Week 12/11/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a health financing institution focused on the global South, is poised this week to select its next director – from the North. And while the selection process has been conducted in the utmost secrecy, confidential selection documents show that the list is down to four candidates, said to be from Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Study Shows Drug Patents Can Be Extended For Decades 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The industry practice of extending patent protection on pharmaceuticals by obtaining additional patents on other features of the drug ingredients can lead to decades of delay in generic competition, a new study argues.
UN Joint Inspection Unit Launches New Website 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The only independent external oversight body of the United Nations has launched a new website, making it easier to access its reports dating back to 1968, and other information.
Technical Meeting Advances Ideas For WHO-Led R&D Financing Framework 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An outside meeting of experts has prepared a report ahead of this month’s gathering of World Health Organization members hoping to agree on new models for financing research and development for diseases lacking adequate market mechanisms and public policies. These include neglected diseases that predominantly affect poor populations unable to pay high prices needed to defray R&D costs under the existing commercial model.
India Publishes Draft Guidelines For Patenting Of TK and Biological Material 08/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The government of India has released a set of draft guidelines to be followed in the patenting of traditional knowledge and biological material. Comments are due by 22 November.
Could US Election Result Reverse Ever-Stronger Copyright Protection? 07/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments US voters returned President Obama for four more years, and kept his party’s dominance of the US Senate as well as the opposition party’s dominance of the House of Representatives. While the Obama administration has generally allied itself with copyright interests, some see the possibility of a reversal in the US Congress of a trend toward stronger copyright protection.
Film Industry Praises Obama’s “Understanding” Of IP’s Importance 07/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) last night quickly congratulated US President Barack Obama on his re-election for four more years, praising his “understanding” of the importance of intellectual property to the US economy. Observers have seen the Obama administration as strongly supportive of the copyright industry, and said Obama received significant campaign financial support from Hollywood while possibly losing ground with the technology industry. And some even see the possibility of a reverse in the US Congress of a trend toward stronger copyright protection.