Asia Pacific Countries Challenge Composition Of Key WIPO Committees 06/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee is arguably the most powerful committee of the United Nations agency, and is open to a limited number of countries. This year, the countries sitting on the committee have to be renewed, and the Asia and Pacific Group is challenging the way countries are chosen, and their numbers because of under-representation of some regions.
WIPO: New External Auditor, Officers; Vietnam To Chair Assembly; New Treaty Accessions 06/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the start of the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly this week, officers to chair the assemblies of WIPO-managed unions were elected. Following a change of rule last year, a chair was also elected to preside over the General Assembly for the next two years. In addition, a new external auditor from the United Kingdom was approved, and Nigeria and Indonesia acceded to WIPO treaties.
US Firm On WIPO Budget Demands: Lisbon Must Find Funds, WIPO Financial System Must Change 05/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organization members this week are trying to find a compromise in order to adopt the budget for the years 2018/2019. The United States has posed conditions on approval, particularly that they would like to keep discussing a potential change in WIPO’s budget allocation to prevent the treaty they pay most into from having to fund other less financially viable treaties. They also asked that the WIPO treaty protecting geographical indications eliminate its deficit, and that no high-level negotiating meeting be provisioned for without the whole WIPO membership agreeing to it.
Quality Of Medicines A Key Focus Of Antimicrobial Resistance Fight 05/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK — Assuring the quality of medicines all the way to the consumer is a key component of the global antimicrobial resistance action plan now beginning to be implemented around the world, a panel of experts said during the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York.
WHO Official On Antimicrobial Resistance: Poor Quality Medicines Entering At “Last Mile” To Patient 05/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NEW YORK — At a recent event on the margin of the United Nations General Assembly, a senior World Health Organization official gave an update on global efforts against substandard and falsified medicines in the context of the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). And a key issue is that often after arriving safely in the capitals, something happens just before quality-assured medicines reach the patient, contributing to AMR.
E-Commerce Regulation Needs Harmonisation, Labour Rules Should Be Part Of Trade Laws, Panellists Say 04/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As electronic commerce is on the rise, attempts to regulate it are fragmented and in need of harmonisation, according to a panel at the recent World Trade Organization Public Forum. Intellectual property could be a harmonisation tool and is a market maker, one of the panellists said. Separately, a session looked at the relationship that they said should exist between trade and labour rights, and said the way goods are produced should be taken into account in WTO rules.
Human Rights Go Hand In Hand With IP In Making Health Systems Work, UN Forum Hears 03/10/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Innovation is vital for the development of medicines, but innovation without proper access to them is pointless, Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of World Trade Organization has said. Several other agency heads spoke at the same event, where World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of universal health coverage.
CopyCamp Conference Discusses Fallacies Of EU Copyright Reform Amid Ideas For Copy Change 02/10/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Bugs in the European Union copyright reform were discussed during the 6th edition of the annual Warsaw CopyCamp held last week. Liability of platforms and special intellectual property rights on snippets were the poster child for bad legislation. But the activists, academics and internet companies also expressed concerns over a general backlash on internet openness and internet freedom.
WIPO General Assembly Opens; Delegates In Starting Block To Discuss Budget, Normative Work 02/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly opened today for 10 days during which delegates have to agree on budget, and on several decisions which might lead to more normative activities on the part of the organisation, although impatience is not equally shared depending on subjects. Separately, the United States submitted a new proposal on the budget, and the European Union tabled a proposal on a new mandate for the WIPO genetic resources and traditional knowledge committee.
Guide To This Week’s Annual WIPO General Assemblies 01/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The annual UN World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies kick off this week for ten days during which delegates will have to find consensus on the budget for the next biennium, 2018/2019. Also on the agenda is the potential renewal of, and a proposed work programme for, the committee on genetic resources and traditional knowledge. WIPO delegates will also decide if they want to convene a high-level final negotiation for a design law treaty, and provide guidance on the work of the WIPO committee on copyright. A decision on which countries should host the next WIPO field offices has also been left to the General Assembly.