Patent Insurance Scheme: Financial Resource For WHO Global IP Strategy? 25/07/2008 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Itaru Nitta, Green Intellectual Property Project, Geneva, Switzerland In its Assembly 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property to squarely steer the global R&D [research and development] and IP policy toward maladies afflicting impoverished nations. Subsequent to this historic resolution, […]
UNCTAD IP Activities Rise With Renewed Mandate; Greater Collaboration 24/07/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Intellectual property-related issues appear to be a clear policy focus of the United Nations Conference On Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as an IP mandate was reconfirmed by the 12th quadrennial UNCTAD conference in April and the organisation has been named by two other prominent UN agencies as a key stakeholder in this […]
IP Rights Holders Frown On Proposed Changes To WTO TRIPS Agreement 23/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara Some intellectual property rights holders and their representative governments are looking with concern at the drive to hold discussions on draft modalities for IP issues in this week’s World Trade Organization mini-ministerial. Letters sent early this week to the United States Trade Representative and European Union External Trade Commissioner by developed-nation industry […]
WIPO Event Addresses Tensions Of Librarians And Publishers In Digital Archiving 17/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara Records of human history and creativity – glimpses into the past caught on papyrus or in carefully preserved books – might themselves become things of the past without better ways to create permanent record in an increasingly digitised world, said speakers at a 15 July conference at the World Intellectual Property Organization. […]
Flurry Of Copyright, Interoperability Policy Activity At European Union 17/07/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch In a flurry of intellectual property-related activity, the European Commission this week ordered copyright collecting societies to loosen their stranglehold on cross-border music licensing, proposed extending the term of copyright protection to 95 years, and launched debate on copyright exceptions on the internet. The Commission also adopted a […]
Panel: IP Rights In Standards Impede Competition, Disadvantage Developing Countries 17/07/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Catherine Saez Standards and intellectual property rights appear to be worlds apart and to respond to opposite purposes, according to a recent panel of legal and policy experts. While standards are established to ensure compatibility in technology to the advantage of all users at national, regional or international levels, intellectual property rights are meant […]
New Southern/East African Copyright Network Targets Protection, Local Innovation 15/07/2008 by Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Seventeen African ministers of arts and culture have officially launched the newly formed Southern and Eastern Africa Copyright Network (Seaconet) in a bid to strengthen regional collaboration and cooperation in the field of creative industries, copyright and related rights. “The need to create Seaconet is due to the […]
Advocates Say Geographical Indications Will Benefit Developing Nations 11/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara An association of producers of geographical indications – product names associated with a particular place and characteristics – is promoting the idea that extending the high-level protection of geographic indications currently enjoyed by wines and spirits to other goods (called GI extension) is in the interest of developing countries. GI extension is […]
Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) Approve Ten Year Roadmap 10/07/2008 by Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Leaders of the Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) this week adopted an ambitious 10-year blueprint to substantially expand trade and economic cooperation with the aim of improving the position of Muslim developing countries in the global world economy, according to the Kuala Lumpur declaration on meeting […]
Panel: Policy Answers Needed To Boost Technology Transfer To LDCs 08/07/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Catherine Saez Technology transfer to least-developed countries has been hampered by many factors, including the reluctance of developed country companies to engage in trade or foreign direct investment, inability to absorb technology locally, and an inefficient reporting system, according to members of a recent panel discussion. Developed country members of the World Trade Organization […]