WIPO Faces Persistent Complaints, Allegations Of Mismanagement 07/06/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organisation is said to be different from many United Nations bodies in that it has long been seen as more of a technical body than the domain of career diplomats who are expert at political wrangling. But in recent months, the organisation has been called upon to address a series of […]
Agreement Out Of Reach In WIPO Patent Harmonisation Talks 03/06/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Governments’ failure to reach agreement on a way forward on patent harmonisation talks at the World Intellectual Property Organisation today has cast a pall on the future of the issue within the UN body, sources said. The meeting of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) at Geneva-based WIPO was scheduled for 1-2 […]
Stakes Are High For WIPO Patent Harmonisation Meeting 31/05/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The stakes are high for many participants in a 1-2 June negotiation at the World Intellectual Property Organisation, as the future of efforts to harmonise international patent laws is on the table. Developing country governments and non-governmental organizations raised concerns in the lead-up to this week’s Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) meeting […]
Medical R&D Treaty Debated At World Health Assembly 30/05/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Experts attending the U.N. World Health Assembly this month debated a proposal to create an international treaty on medical research and development aimed at making medical treatment affordable globally while ensuring continuing innovation in the area. The proposed treaty was created in consultation with a variety of non-governmental and government experts, and in February, 162 […]
Experts Discuss Essential Drugs Patent Pool Proposal 19/05/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Consumer representatives, United Nations diplomats, drug industry representatives and others this week discussed a proposal to form a patent pool for essential medicines. The proposal was put forward by Consumers International and the Consumer Project on Technology (CP Tech) at the annual U.N. World Health Assembly, and on Tuesday filled a room with people holding […]
Pressure Rises On Drug Patents In Brazil 15/05/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Brazil, a developing country leader on international intellectual property issues, has come under pressure at home and abroad over whether to lift domestic patents on foreign pharmaceuticals for AIDS to allow cheaper generic versions to be produced. This week, nearly 200 non-governmental organisations from around the world signed onto a letter urging the Brazilian government […]
India Joins Opposition To Casablanca Patent Meeting Outcome 10/04/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments India, a critical player in policy debates at the World Intellectual Property Organisation, has announced its opposition to a recommendation on global patent harmonisation backed by a select group of countries in a February consultation with WIPO Director General Kamil Idris. The recommendation was agreed to by all but one participant in an invite-only consultation […]
Both Sides Claim Victory In Geographic Indications Dispute 15/03/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Both sides claimed victory Tuesday in a World Trade Organisation dispute brought by Australia and the United States against the European Union’s protection of foods with names deriving from specific geographical regions. The WTO panel ruling Tuesday found that the EU system of protection for geographical indications for agricultural products may continue to exist, but […]
Consensus Slips On WIPO Patent Harmonisation Talks 10/03/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A key group of developing countries this week sent a potential shockwave through fledgling efforts at the World Intellectual Property Organisation to restart talks on the international harmonisation of national patent laws. The 14-member “Group of Friends of Development” issued a statement on the outcome of a recent WIPO consultation in which general agreement was […]
“Deliverables” For Developing Nations Discussed By Hand-Picked WIPO Members 17/02/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of nations hand-picked by the head of the World Intellectual Property Organisation on Thursday concluded informal consultations on ways to move the harmonisation of national patent regimes forward while addressing development concerns of some countries seen as delaying WIPO’s progress on the issue. Among the topics expected to be discussed during the consultations […]