US Supreme Court Poised To Rule Human Genes Are Not Patentable 21/12/2012 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments For decades, the United States has pioneered the patenting of human genes, and other countries have followed this lead. But the US will soon perform an abrupt about-face, most experts predict. When the US Supreme Court hands down its decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, the justices appear likely to rule that human genes are not patentable subject matter. And the ruling may go even farther, holding that other forms of human DNA are not patentable.
US Chamber Holds Annual IP Attaché Roundtable, Announces New “IP Index” 17/12/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Washington, DC – The United States Chamber of Commerce last week held its annual roundtable with US government IP attachés stationed around the world. At the same event, it released a consultant study that rated the IP rights usage of 11 rather different countries.
WIPO Visually Impaired Treaty: Voices From Africa On Dire Situation 16/12/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization is on the verge of deciding on a high-level meeting paving the way for a new treaty to facilitate access to books to visually impaired people. Meanwhile, in Africa, far from plenary discussions, the situation on the ground reveals a dire need for change.
Publishers Seek Support For Their Approach To WIPO Treaty 16/12/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the World Intellectual Property Organization prepares to hold an Extraordinary General Assembly this week to decide on convening a high-level meeting to negotiate a new treaty on limitations and exceptions for blind and other visually impaired people, publishers are defending their position.
IP Rockstar Says: IP In Business Is No Longer “Dessert,” More Like “Wine” 15/12/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Bulging portfolios, lucrative licensing fees, and record patent sales, the booming business of intellectual property strengthens calls from business leaders to accelerate the harmonisation of the global patent system. Participants in a recent private-sector intellectual property conference said that redundancies in international processes “creates waste” which could be better used to invest in new business.
A Closer Look Into A WIPO Regional Workshop: Making An Instant IP Whiz 10/12/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Manila, Philippines – Another destructive typhoon was battering southern Philippines last week, but this did not stop the majority of the delegates coming from the provinces near the affected areas from flying to the capital to attend what organisers touted as a trailblazing programme that has the potential to raise awareness of sophisticated intellectual property tools and policies at the grassroots level in developing countries.
A Week Into WCIT, Few Compromises In Fragile Discussions 09/12/2012 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment More broadband rollout and better access to networks everywhere – that’s a position shared by participants at the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), which started last week in Dubai. And this is where the consensus ends, according to a more sceptical reading on progress made in negotiations to review the future International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR).
From South Africa — Keeping Traditional Knowledge Traditional 07/12/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments There has been a tidal wave of severe criticism of the South African government’s proposed legislation to provide for protection for traditional knowledge in domestic South African law, writes Prof. Owen Dean. Now, the criticism seems to align with accepted international views.
Survey On IP: Policymakers Believe Junk Statistics; North-South Divide Dissolving 05/12/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Preliminary findings of a survey aimed at mapping the current prevailing ideas on intellectual property confirmed recognised trends that academics and intergovernmental IP professionals look more favourably on weaker IP protection, and traditional North-South differences toward IP rights are becoming less clear cut. It also found that policymakers tend to rely heavily on statistics from industry to help them with their decisions, whether reliable or not.
Special Report Russia’s Enforcement Against Online Copyright Infringement 03/12/2012 by Daria Kim for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment During the joint news conference held in Paris on 27 November by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, Medvedev was asked a question of legislative scrutiny with regard to internet regulation in Russia. In his reply, the Russian prime minister admitted that the current legislation regulating the internet is “imperfect” and called upon the international community to “consider parameters to regulate the operation of the internet on the national or international level.”