India Weathering Doubts About Its Approach To Intellectual Property 18/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments NEW YORK – The US Chamber of Commerce has been on a campaign to show that India’s recent treatment of intellectual property is harming foreign investment and its economy. Last week, the heavyweight Washington industry group brought its argument directly to the investment community in Manhattan.
Comments Received On South Africa’s Process For New IP Policy 18/11/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments CAPE TOWN – The much-anticipated process of public submissions into the draft South Africa National Intellectual Property Policy has come to a close. The country’s trade minister says the office is busy collating the 100 documents submitted by interested stakeholders and plans to submit a formal policy to cabinet for approval in the first quarter of next year.
South African Government Draws Many Views On Draft New National IP Policy 15/11/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN – The much-anticipated process of gathering public submissions on the draft South Africa National Intellectual Property Policy has come to a close. The country’s trade minister says the office is busy collating some 100 documents submitted by interested stakeholders, and plans to submit a formal policy to cabinet for approval in the first […]
Health Diplomacy Spreading, Competent Health Diplomats Needed, Geneva Speakers Say 15/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Global health diplomacy was the subject of a symposium organised by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute this week. The symposium explored the crossing lines between health diplomacy and science diplomacy, in particular how can diplomacy facilitate international scientific cooperation in health. This week was also the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization protocol against illicit trade in tobacco products.
USTR Froman Pitches Benefits Of TPP For Japan-US Business 15/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A day after the stunning release of a recent draft of the intellectual property chapter of the highly secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, United States Trade Representative Michael Froman promoted the potential benefits of the trade deal for companies doing business in Japan – including for IP rights protection.
Capture, Sunlight, And The TPP Leak 14/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Margot Kaminski writes in Concurring Opinions: Yesterday, Wikileaks leaked the draft IP chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The US Trade Representative has shown the draft text to its closed advisory committees, but not to anybody else. Content industries and pharmaceutical industries sit on the IP advisory committee. Internet industries, smaller innovators, generics companies, and public interest groups do not. This is no accident. When Congress established the trade negotiating system, it exempted the Trade Representative from requirements of an open government law that was enacted to prevent agency capture.
Wikileaks’ Release Of TPP Chapter On IP Blows Open Secret Trade Negotiation 13/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments For years, the United States and partner governments have worked vigorously to keep the publics they represent from knowing what they are negotiating behind closed doors in the top-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But today’s Wikileaks release of the draft intellectual property chapter blew that up, confirming the fears of public interest groups that this is an agreement heavily weighted toward big industry interests.
Event Brings Business Perspective To Creating, Leveraging IP In Developing Countries 13/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An event being held in Durban, South Africa next week will bring the expertise of global and local businesses, governments, academics and others to the issues of harnessing foreign intellectual property rights as well as creating local IP rights.
US Civil Society Demand To Know If They Were Spied On: ‘Core American Principles’ At Stake 12/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nearly 40 US civil society groups – including some household names in consumer protection – today sent a letter to the heads of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) demanding to know if their activities related to US trade policy have been spied on. The groups said core American principles are at stake and that they have a right to the assurance that their operations are not under surveillance by US government agencies.
WIPO Industrial Design Treaty In Hands Of December Assembly; GI Debate Returns 11/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments There appears to be consensus at the World Intellectual Property Organization on establishing a procedural treaty to facilitate the international registration of industrial designs. But a weeklong committee meeting last week could not solve the issue of how to include technical assistance in the treaty. The WIPO General Assembly in December will decide on whether to convene a high-level meeting next year to finalise the treaty. Meanwhile, the United States proposed resuscitating discussions on geographical indications (GIs) in the committee, which stirred resistance.