In Biotech Industry, Cash Flow Fears And Patent Questions 27/02/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Patent reform, universal health care, and intellectual property rights protection of new health and environmental technologies are critical not only for the biotechnology industry but for improvements in public health, the president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said Thursday.
Innovation Policy: The Balance Between Standards and Patent Regulation 26/02/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments By Georg Greve Interconnectivity, commoditisation and increased reuse and recombination are key trends within the maturing information and communication technologies (ICT) industry that drive innovation and development. Harnessing the innovative and economic potential of the ICT sector depends on a variety of factors, including open innovation models, such as free software.
Path Forward For UN-Led Internet Governance Forum Discussed 26/02/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment That there will be a future for the international Internet Governance Forum seems likely, though the form its future incarnation will take is not. Delegates to an open consultation on internet governance this week began to sort out some base modalities on how to evaluate the progress of the United Nations-led discussion venue, as a deadline approaches to decide whether and how the group will continue.
Drug Patent Linkage Is Subject Of Court Case, Dispute In India 25/02/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Should national drug control bodies grant marketing licences to generic medicine companies only if their products do not possibly infringe existing patent rights? Yes, German pharmaceutical company Bayer told the High Court of Delhi last week when the court heard arguments in an ongoing court case on patent linkage.
Enforcement, Creative R&D Financing Priority Issues For Public Health in 2009 25/02/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The number and intensity of debates over the role of intellectual property rights in public health is set to increase in 2009. New leadership and new mandates for key intergovernmental organisations implemented last year have created opportunity for change. And while old debates over the balance between IP rights and access to health products are not going away, this year will see more exploration at the intergovernmental level of different systems to stimulate innovation.
Industry Pushes For Biosimilars Approval Process; Some IGOs Take Notice 24/02/2009 by Kiernan A. Murphy for Intellectual Property Watch and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Key players in the biotechnology industry are leading an effort to obtain global approval processes for generic biological medicines, which experts say could provide cheaper access to costly but widely prescribed and promising treatments.
IP Policy Issues May See Progress In A Changed US Landscape This Year 23/02/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the United States battles an economic meltdown, items like economic stimulus and home foreclosure relief are taking centre stage. Congress also is still working to confirm President Obama’s nominees. But once those items are dealt with, issues such as patent reform and intellectual property enforcement are expected to be hot-button items once again.
French Legislature Puts Finishing Touches On Ambitious File-Sharing Law 23/02/2009 by Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments French legislators are putting the final touches on controversial legislation that will likely lead to the most governmentally-proactive law intended to curb illegal file sharing among any other European Union member state.
International Health Groups Warn WHO, WTO On Medicines Seizures 21/02/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments Leading international public health advocates have sent letters to the heads of the World Health Organization and World Trade Organization calling on them to act to prevent possible circumvention of international trade rules for intellectual property rights relating to shipments of legal generic drugs bound for developing countries.
US Congressional, USPTO Officials See Geneva Policymaking Up Close 19/02/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A small group of United States congressional staff and officials from the Obama administration working on intellectual property issues were in Geneva this week to discuss IP policy with representatives of intergovernmental organisations and industry, according to sources.