Sharing US Drug Patents with Neglected Patients: A Scientist’s View 05/11/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment “Instead of re-hashing old debates about patents, patients and profits, forward-looking pharmaceutical executives should consider new ways of ensuring that medicines reach all patients who need them,” writes John Erickson, one of the researchers who discovered the HIV medicine recently licensed by the National Institutes of Health to the Medicines Patent Pool.
Controversy Over New IGF Mandate, UN Role In Internet Governance 04/11/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments A first proposal on the future mandate of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is on the agenda this week at the ongoing 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. A proposal prepared by the Group of 77 and China opts for another five-year mandate for the IGF to discuss internet public policy related issues and embraces the so-called multi-stakeholder principle.
A Primer On Spotting IP Issues Associated with Social Media Websites and Content 30/10/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Most businesspeople and generalists understand that social media can be an important but risky part of doing business. This article seeks to identify how to spot potential intellectual property law issues associated with social media websites and content that can arise for a company.
TRIPS Council Discusses Efficacy Of ACTA, Public Health Amendment 29/10/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments A substantive review of a rarely-used amendment to the World Trade Organization intellectual property rules and enforcement trends that may threaten multilateral trade system topped the agenda this week in the Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
US Would-Be GI Wins Solidarity Award From European GI Producers 28/10/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European proponents of geographical indications have granted an award to a Hawaiian coffee lacking GI protection as a sign of solidarity with the producers, they said. Europe is a prominent actor in this type of intellectual property right on products linked to a specific regions, and the French government along with a GI lobby group last week held an informational event geared towards Africa.
UN And Internet Governance, Next Four Years: Better Cooperation Or Bigger Role? 27/10/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments After three weeks of negotiations, member countries and the secretariat of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union hailed the consensus and success of the 2010 Plenipotentiary Conference, which sets the ITU work programme for the next four years. But even through the final rounds of applause, the tensions about how much the internet features in the core mandate of the Union remained audible.
Emerging Economies’ New Initiative On Falsified And Substandard Medicines 22/10/2010 by William New and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Several major generic-medicine producing nations last week held a discussion on the dangers of compromised medical products and joined together to urge new steps such as defining terms, focussing on public health and strengthening national regulatory capabilities beyond strictly enforcement actions that they say have been manipulated and at times counterproductive.
WHO Moves IP, Innovation Out Of Director General’s Office 19/10/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization has moved responsibility for intellectual property and innovation issues out of the direct control of the WHO director general and into the company of information, evidence and research, according to sources.
Delegates See UN Protocol Against Biopiracy Within Reach 19/10/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAGOYA, JAPAN – Prospects for completing and approving a protocol protecting natural resources from biopiracy and providing equitable sharing of benefits derived from the commercial use of those resources are promising, according to delegates. But hard negotiations lie ahead if they are to meet a deadline to present an agreed draft protocol to the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by the end of this week.
US Attorney General In China Talks Tough, Blurs Line, On IP 19/10/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment United States Attorney General Eric Holder today called on other governments to join in intensifying the fight against intellectual property infringement, on the theme that, “intellectual property crimes are not victimless.” But his law enforcement argument may need finessing to reach all stakeholders.