Academic Tells WTO, WIPO, WHO To Stop Using The Term “Developing Countries” 28/10/2015 by Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A lively keynote address urging international organisations to adopt a fact-based view of the world and new ways of segmenting countries in an increasingly convergent world, set the scene for the annual trilateral symposium on public health, intellectual property and trade taking place at the World Trade Organization today.
European Parliament Votes Down Net Neutrality Amendments 27/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch After another heated debate, the European Parliament today voted down several amendments aimed at strengthening network neutrality in the new telecommunications package which has been on the agenda of the European Union for more than two years.
After TTIP Round, “Important” Differences Remain On GIs, Negotiators Say 23/10/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the conclusion of another round of talks for a bilateral trade agreement in Miami today, Europe and the United States negotiators said they remain far apart on the issue of protection of geographical indications. But they made progress on pharmceuticals and medical products, they said.
“Silence Is Too Often The Only Safe Option Left” – UN Report On Sources And Whistleblowers 22/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Governments and international organizations are failing to ensure adequate protections to whistleblowers and sources of information, according to a new report* by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye.
WSIS+10 Explained: Interview With Constance Bommelaer, Internet Society 22/10/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On 15-16 December 2015, government officials from more than 190 countries will meet in New York to discuss the future of the internet. They will review progress made in achieving the goals set forth 10 years ago at the Tunis World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) meeting. The aptly named WSIS+10 Review is a pivotal point in determining the fate of the open internet – discussions at the review can influence how the internet is governed for the next decade, as well as whether the internet will continue as a means of economic development and opportunity for the global economy. Alongside this week’s WSIS+10 stakeholder meetings at the UN, Intellectual Property Watch’s William New sat down with the Senior Director of Global Internet Policy at the Internet Society, Constance Bommelaer, to discuss what to expect in New York and the impact this meeting will have on the future of the internet.
Book Review: How ‘Dialogue Of The Deaf’ Produced A Sound Tool For Policy-Making 22/10/2015 by Peter Ungphakorn for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments International trade agreements are sometimes demonised as the Grand Plan imposed by major powers in cahoots with multinational corporations. Intellectual property rights is a particular target, as is the case currently with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and previously with the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). “The Making of the TRIPS Agreement”, the insightful, unofficial collected memoirs of 17 of the agreement’s key authors, plus one editor, challenges that view in two ways, writes Peter Ungphakorn.
Standards Needed For IP Value To Be Recognised By Banks, IP Offices Say 20/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Valuation of intellectual property is of growing importance to small and medium-sized enterprises in getting loans from financial institutions, IP office representatives said at a side event to the World Intellectual Property Organisation General Assembly this month.
At WIPO, Panel Urges Women To Get Out Of Their Comfort Zones 20/10/2015 by Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Panellists at a recent discussion on women and intellectual property proposed steps institutions and women themselves could take to increase the number of female entrepreneurs, in order for the IP system to benefit men and women equally.
“The Brain Is The Next Frontier,” Bioethics Futurist Says, Raising New Societal Challenges 19/10/2015 by Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments At the recent TEDx CERN event, Intellectual Property Watch caught up with bioethicist and legal philosopher Matthew Liao, to reflect on challenging moral questions raised by new advances in computing and neuroscience allowing for the manipulation of human thoughts and memories. Liao reflected on whether we should use drugs and technology to erase traumatic memories, and if individuals have a moral obligation to themselves to remember certain events.
Governments’ Role In Management Of Internet In Question At ICANN Meeting 19/10/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Amidst rising voices that time is of essence to finalise the oversight transition for core internet functions from the United States government to the community of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), governments are divided over what their role should be.