Panellists: Global Health Justice Needs Government Commitment, New Innovation Models 15/10/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Global health needs innovation but also to ensure equitable access for the world population, panellists at a roundtable said last week. At issue is the capacity of the pharmaceutical industry to innovate, and the potential barriers to access in a context of widespread diseases that blur the boundaries between developed and developing countries. Most panellists concluded that governments should hold primary responsibility for the health of their populations.
UN High-Level Meeting In India On Biodiversity Addresses Access And Benefit-Sharing 12/10/2012 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment At the ongoing 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad, the hot topic is funds and how to mobilize it. The mega-conference is taking place in the shadow of a global economic slowdown, and delegates gathered at this southern Indian city are most concerned about how to drum up funds to tackle the world’s shrinking biodiversity – the variety of animal and plant life on earth.
ITU Undertakes Work On Standards Essential Patents 12/10/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has tasked an expert group on intellectual property rights with coming up with ways to update ITU patent policy with an eye toward clarifying litigation involving “standards-essential patents.”
Talks Ongoing To Raise Quality Of International Patents 10/10/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Big patent offices worldwide are leading talks to raise the quality of international patents under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). This comes as it has become harder, yet more urgent than ever, for stakeholders to inject some reforms into the more than four-decade old system amid the unprecedented rise in applications and faster technology turnaround.
GI Protection Gets Boost In BRICs; Common Definition Needed For International Debates 09/10/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The protection of geographical indications at the international level is a brainteaser which translates into lack of progress in several fora, to the dismay of geographical indications proponents, according to speakers at an event last week. A publication was launched by GIs advocates at the event, aimed at providing producers in emerging economies with useful tools to protect their GIs.
At WHO, Pharma Suggests Payment Plan For Influenza Virus Use 08/10/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization advisory group on pandemic influenza preparedness met with pharmaceutical industry representatives, civil society members, and other stakeholders last week to move toward a recommendation on a partnership contribution formula to determine payment modalities for influenza virus sharing.
WIPO General Assemblies Face Big Questions, Small Details 30/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Representatives of the nearly 200 members of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization – as well as industry and non-governmental groups – will gather this week for their annual meeting. In addition to IP policy issues, there are expected to be discussions about the development expenditures, the budget and organisational performance and the internal workings of the organisation, including audit procedures and problems with the construction of new buildings.
IP And The White House: What Happens With IP Issues After The US Presidential Election? 27/09/2012 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment What would a Mitt Romney White House mean for intellectual property and open internet, and just how would a Vice President Paul Ryan affect those policies? Would a new Republican administration replacing the current Democratic administration mean a new approach to IP? Here is Intellectual Property Watch’s comparison of what IP-related policies may look like under Obama and Romney.
Special Report: Licensing Of News Titles And Extracts – Newspapers’ Best And Last Bet? 25/09/2012 by Maricel Estavillo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a bold and unprecedented move, the ruling coalition of Germany has come to the rescue of the beleaguered news publishing industry by pushing for the enactment of a related right to copyright that would ask commercial aggregators to pay publishers for their use of headlines and extracts of news articles.
Q&A With Newly Appointed KIPO Commissioner 24/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Ho-Won Kim, the newly appointed commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), discussed his views on KIPO’s major policies in a recent exchange with Intellectual Property Watch. He explained the directions KIPO will take on international cooperation, examination pendency periods, and other issues, such as what the international dispute between Samsung Electronics and Apple means for companies worldwide.