Cancer Group Recommendations To Ensure Medicines Access In South Africa Draft IP Policy 13/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A US cancer group has provided a series of recommendations to the South African government on ways to improve the country’s draft national intellectual property policy, including greater transparency, voluntary licensing, and the use of compulsory licences.
WIPO: New 2-Year Mandate For Traditional Knowledge Committee; Design Law Treaty Stalls 12/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Late tonight on the last day of the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly, delegates agreed on a mandate and a work programme of the committee seeking ways to protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and folklore from misuse and misappropriation. Meanwhile, no agreement was found on the convening of a high-level negotiating meeting for a new treaty on industrial designs.
WIPO Delegates Agree On Budget For 2 Years; US Still Vigilant On GI Treaty 11/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On the last day of the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly, delegates today found a way to agree on the issues blocking the adoption of the 2018/2019 budget. In particular delegates found a way to address requests made by the United States on the program and budget, notably on the financing of the WIPO agreement protecting geographical indications.
WIPO: Rise In Retirement Age Delayed 2 Years; LGBT Workers Get Protection 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization will increase the retirement age to 65 for all workers starting in 2020, one year earlier than it had proposed but still a delay aimed at freeing up some job posts through earlier retirements.
New Members But No Structural Change In WIPO Program And Budget Committee – For Now 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Despite an effort by the Asia and Pacific Group countries to increase their representation, the geographical distribution of membership of the powerful World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee remained the same at the completion of discussions at the annual WIPO General Assembly tonight. But WIPO members did agree to begin consideration of the composition of the committee.
Latest Draft From WIPO Informal Negotiations On TK, Genetic Resources 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new draft emerged today, the last day of the negotiations, on renewal of the mandate of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee on protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
TRIPS Council: IP And Innovation, Compulsory Licensing, Questions For EU On Goods In Transit 11/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The intellectual property committee of the World Trade Organization is meeting next week with several notable items on the agenda, including some reviving earlier negotiations. Among topics for discussion on intellectual property and innovation is a focus on inclusive innovation and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Also, India also submitted a series of questions for the European Union about goods in transit, echoing an earlier WTO dispute. And separately, some countries are holding a workshop on geographical indications and traditional knowledge.
WIPO Members Wrestle With Proposed Delay In Increasing Retirement Age 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Among the hot issues at this year’s annual World Intellectual Property Organization Assemblies is a proposal by WIPO to delay compliance with a United Nations-wide mandate to raise retirement age from 62 to 65 for those who started employment before 2014, supposed to go into effect on 1 January. WIPO’s proposal to wait 3 years to raise the age for those who joined the organisation is intended to open up dozens of posts that can then be filled with workers holding other skills deemed more needed as the global IP system has changed.
300 NGOs Demand No New E-Commerce Agenda At WTO Ministerial 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Some 300 global nongovernmental organisations have signed a letter voicing concerns about the agenda of the upcoming World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in December. In particular, they target the alleged push by some countries for a new agenda on digital trade, which they describe as “wrong.”
António Campinos Elected EPO President Starting Mid-2018 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments António Campinos of Portugal has been elected to serve as the next president of the European Patent Office (EPO). He will succeed Benoît Battistelli, who has served since 2010.