WHO Declares Flu Pandemic Over; Experts Behind Response Revealed 10/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The pandemic threat of the H1N1 or “swine flu” virus has now passed, World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan announced today.
August/September Edition Of IP-Watch Monthly Reporter Now Available 10/08/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Edition features top news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the international IP community, news briefs and more. The August/September edition is now available for subscribers at: http://www.ip-watch.org/user/newsletter.
Intellectual Property Watch Thanks You For Your Support 09/08/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Dear Readers, Intellectual Property Watch would like to thank all of you who responded to our first-ever call for help with a show of support from a range of sectors over the past few weeks. Finding a sustainable model will be essential to our ability to continue bringing you the unique, high-quality reporting, documents and information you have come to expect from us in an open-access format. We still have a long way to go, but we have benefited from your initial financial contributions (including a number from individuals on their own behalf), subscriptions, and helpful suggestions and ideas, including for possible funders, partnerships, marketing and advertising options, and prospects for new subscriptions. In the coming months, you will see changes that reflect these contributions and inputs, as well as new approaches aimed at sustainability. And with a critical turning point looming for IP, innovation and the economy, we hope to keep you on the front lines of policy, law and trends more than ever. To view the IP-Watch call for help, click here: http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/wp-admin/page.php?action=edit&post=11476
Coverage Of Anti-Counterfeit Policy Debate Varies Widely Across Global Media 02/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Are counterfeit products first and foremost a threat to human health and safety or is provoking anxiety just a clever way for wealthy nations to create sympathy for increased protection of their intellectual property rights? In Geneva the debate is raging, but a look at a sample of coverage of this issue in the world’s news media shows it can vary greatly.
Experts, Policymakers Debate Solutions For Counterfeit Products 30/07/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of policymakers and other experts met this month in Geneva to discuss counterfeit and unsafe products and wrestled with possible balanced solutions to the problem. The event was hosted by the United States mission and supported by the US Chamber of Commerce. It included US Ambassador to the UN Betty E. King, among dozens of others.
Bayer “Liberty Link” Maize Banned In Brazil 29/07/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment German biotechnology company Bayer has met resistance in Brazil where the Paraná Federal Court revoked the authorisation for the commercial release of the company’s “Liberty Link” genetically modified maize on 27 July, according to a press release posted on the website of one of the civil lawsuit complainants. Described as a “landmark,” the ruling prohibits […]
Civil Society Groups Warn EU On ACTA 29/07/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An international set of civil society groups today sent a letter to the European Union trade commissioner outlining concerns that the latest, leaked, version of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement under negotiation will introduce “new and unbalanced intellectual property rules” which “would condone overzealous and erroneous enforcement of intellectual property for medicines and thereby pose a […]
US Jobs Bill Would Restrict Foreign Access To Patent Applications 28/07/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the jobless rate remain high and budgets tight, United States policymakers increasingly are looking for ways to boost domestic innovation in order to create new jobs and boost the economy. One such bill to be announced tomorrow, called the “Strategic Manufacturing & Job Repatriation Act” aims to develop a national manufacturing strategy to create American jobs, including by lowering access to early patent applications and prioritising university patents.
The Great Firewall of China: When Does Online Censorship Violate WTO Rules? 28/07/2010 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments China’s government says it is acting in the best interests of its citizens. It is regulating the internet in order to protect its people from pornography and other objectionable content. Critics, however, assert that China is guilty of wide-ranging censorship, drastically limiting what mainland residents can see, hear and say online. Moreover, according to a growing chorus, this online censorship violates World Trade Organization rules.
Reminder: Urgent Call To Support Intellectual Property Watch 28/07/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Dear Readers, we at Intellectual Property Watch are writing to politely remind you that the financial support of every one of you is needed this year, especially those of you who have long benefited from our open-access work and have never been asked to contribute. We set a target of end of July, just a few days away. We would like to remind you of the reliable reporting and tough-minded analysis that Intellectual Property Watch brings to a complex area that will certainly continue to be at the centre of global policy and legal debates for years to come, whether your topic is IP law, public health, climate change, food security, trade, internet policy and knowledge access, or innovation.