USTR Launches Review Of IP In Thailand After Reported Improvements On Enforcement 16/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today announced an “out-of-cycle” review of Thailand’s intellectual property policies after what USTR said were reports of improvement on several IP issues including trademarks and enforcement. Another area of the review will be pharmaceuticals.
Malaysia Grants Compulsory Licence For Generic Sofosbuvir Despite Gilead Licence 15/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments A much cheaper version of a groundbreaking hepatitis C medicine is expected to be available soon for the hundreds of thousands of hepatitis C patients in Malaysia, as it decided to grant a compulsory licence to sofosbuvir, according to sources. The decision comes right after the medicine originator decided to expand its voluntary licensing scheme to four more countries, including Malaysia. [Updated]
The Many Layers Of Best Practices In The Fight Against Counterfeiting, Piracy 14/09/2017 by Peter Kenny for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Landlocked Switzerland never had to face pirates in seafaring days, but these days Stop Piracy – the Bern-based Swiss anti-counterfeiting and piracy platform – is actively united in fighting this 21st century threat that lurks in cyberspace everywhere. At a recent conference in Neuchâtel, a range of experts, including from the European Union IP Office, explored the issues.
New WIPO External Offices: Candidates At The Door, But What’s In It For WIPO? 13/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For the last two years, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates have been trying to tackle a seemingly unsolvable equation: too many candidate countries for four new WIPO external offices. Yet more time seems necessary to reduce the number of candidates, which show no sign of stepping down, insisting on the value of a WIPO external office. However, some doubts have begun to arise over the benefits of the expansion of WIPO’s network of field offices.
EU Commission Position Paper On IP And Brexit: Trademarks, Designs, GIs 12/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment To say Brexit is a conundrum is almost a euphemism, the list of issues to settle between the 27 remaining European Union members and the United Kingdom seems bottomless. Intellectual property is no exception, and the European Commission Brexit-dedicated task force has issued a position paper on IP, setting out principles for the “UK’s orderly withdrawal from the EU.”
WIPO Budget For 2018-2019, New External Offices, Under Discussion This Week 11/09/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Program and Budget Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization this week is meeting for the second time this year. It is expected to consider the budget for the 2018/2019 biennium before the annual WIPO General Assembly next month. Delegates flew through the agenda today and had little to remark on audit and oversight reports, but the next days might give way to more discussions, in particular on the diplomatically thorny issue of which countries should host a WIPO external office. On a separate issue, the United States tabled a paper presenting an alternative methodology for allocating funds to WIPO-managed systems, reducing revenue reliance on a single global patent agreement.
New Study Looks At IP And The Rise Of Mega-Regional Agreements 11/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A substantive new study with contributions from a range of leading thinkers in the field of intellectual property rights delves into the history and future of mega-regional trade agreements and the evolution of IP rights.
Industry Launches Transnational Alliance Against Illicit Trade 08/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An international industry alliance against illicit trade in a broad range of sectors was launched this week, aimed at reducing “staggering losses” by targeting supply chains, including transportation, digital channels, free trade zones and financial networks.
Comings And Goings In The International IP Community Year To Date 06/09/2017 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Heading into the final stretch of the year, it is a good time to catch up on all of the staff changes that have occurred in governments, industry, law firms and nongovernmental organisations related to the IP community in Geneva. Here is a rundown of some of top moves made by people since the start of the year.
NAFTA Second Round Ends With Unspecified “Important” Progress, Single Consolidated Text 06/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Ministers from Mexico, Canada and the United States concluded the second weeklong round of negotiations for an updated North American Free Trade Agreement in the past four weeks, and claimed progress on “important” issues and the shaping of a text with some 24 chapters. But the government officials offered no specifics to the public.