WTO Biodiversity Amendment Backed; EU Seeks ‘New Thinking’ On GIs 26/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New A proposal to amend the World Trade Organization rules on intellectual property rights to require the disclosure of the origin of genetic resources in patent applications gained significant new support Wednesday when 50 least-developed countries signed on. The additional support for the proposed amendment came at the 23-24 October meeting of the […]
New Models Emerge For European Copyright Licensing System 25/10/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The European system for licensing copyrighted music is in “huge confusion” following the rejection by content users and smaller collecting societies of a proposed model contract for collective management of music on cable, satellite and the Internet, Thierry Desurmont, vice president of the board of France’s Societe des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique, said this week. Desurmont spoke along with others at a 22 October Chatham House/International Institute of Communications conference on trends in global communications in London.
Parliament Paves Way for EU Adoption Of WTO Health Amendment 24/10/2007 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch BRUSSELS – The European Union has pledged not to include any intellectual property provisions that would curb access to medicines in a series of free trade agreements it is negotiating with least-developed countries. The commitment has been given as part of a deal struck between the EU’s three […]
Top Economies To Negotiate Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Pact 24/10/2007 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch The United States, European Union and other key trading partners on Tuesday announced their intention to negotiate an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to encourage other countries to meet higher intellectual property rights enforcement standards. “Global counterfeiting and piracy steal billions of dollars from workers, artists and entrepreneurs […]
TRIPS Council Extends Health Amendment; Targets Poor Nations’ Needs 23/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property rights on Tuesday gave a two-year extension for countries to ratify a public health agreement easing countries’ ability to import cheap medicines. It also addressed needs assessments for least-developed countries, which are to implement WTO rules on IP rights by 2013. The WTO Council […]
Officials Prepare For TRIPS Council As China Blocks US Dispute Panel 22/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property rights issues this week is expected to discuss biodiversity and traditional knowledge, enforcement, geographical indications, and public health, according to participants. While no significant breakthroughs are predicted, the issues to be discussed are potentially highly charged. There will be at least two new documents […]
Developing Countries Get Perspective On IP And Enforcement 22/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New There is more to the story of enforcing intellectual property rights than one typically reads in the media, and developing country governments should defend themselves against unfair enforcement practices, officials and activists said recently. Speakers gave their views at a 9 October event of the intergovernmental South Centre entitled, Examining IP Enforcement […]
Aid Package For Theseus Web 3.0 Project May Need Boost 22/10/2007 by Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch The European Commission’s recent approval of a €120-million state aid package granted to a German research project called Theseus for the development of “Web 3.0” drew a lot of media attention. However, the grant’s sum is but a fraction of the R&D budgets of the world’s leading consumer Internet technology firms. According to the project’s spokesman, Thomas Huber, the project’s aim is nothing less than “fundamentally transforming the existing Internet.” A reinvention of the Internet and the intellectual property rights associated with such a feat would require billion-dollar annual research and development budgets, according to Rob Enderle, president and founder of the California-based Enderle Group analyst firm.
US Renews Effort To Topple WIPO Director General 19/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 18 Comments By William New United States Ambassador to the United Nations Warren Tichenor on Thursday reiterated a call for answers to allegations surrounding the head of the World Intellectual Property Organization, who the US and others are pushing to resign out of concern for his leadership ability. WIPO Director General Kamil Idris has come under fire […]
Kenya Works To Identify IP Rights In Its Medical Research 19/10/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch NAIROBI – One of Kenya’s most prestigious research institutions, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), has begun an extensive intellectual property audit to try and identify any discoveries that should be protected. The audit comes as the government is finishing work on a new framework on traditional knowledge and […]