Local Rooibos Tea Growers Take Charge In Effort To Gain GI Protection 12/01/2016 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Small growers of Rooibos tea, in a remote region of South Africa, have taken up the charge in pursuing a geographic indication certification to protect their unique red tea against misuse and imitation. Intellectual Property Watch brings you the local story.
Kenya Takes Steps To Enhance Intellectual Property Awareness 12/01/2016 by Justus Wanzala for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — The government of Kenya has inaugurated a board to steer the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KNIA), which is charged with increasing awareness of intellectual property rights among investors, universities, research institutions and the general public. The move comes as experts have offered gloomy views on the IP situation in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa.
Trade Commissioner Malmstroem Promotes TTIP, Warns Against Intolerance 12/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments MUNICH — At a New Year’s reception of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Karlsruhe, Germany today, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem promoted the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and warned against “extreme views, opposed to open societies and economies.”
50+ US Congress Members Urge Reasonable Licensing Terms For Government-Funded Medical Patents 11/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments More than 50 members of the United States Congress today sent a letter urging the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to exercise their legal authority to require medical patents that have emerged from government-funded medical research projects to be licensed on reasonable and affordable terms for public use.
US Intellectual Property Law In 2016: A Preview 11/01/2016 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Familiar intellectual property concerns will continue to vex the United States in the coming year. The scope of patent-eligible subject matter, the requirements for safe-harbor protections against copyright infringement, and the registration of disparaging trademarks will be among the top IP issues to watch in 2016, according to experts.
TPP, India Most-Read IP-Watch Stories Of 2015 11/01/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The most-read stories of 2015 on the Intellectual Property Watch website fairly reflected the trends of the year, with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, India’s evolving intellectual property rights policies, European Patent Office patents on conventional vegetables, biologics, 3D printing, and some pop culture issues leading the way. In the coming weeks, IP-Watch will review in-depth what’s in store for 2016, already underway. But for now, let’s take a look at last year’s highlights.
New Year Brings New Faces To IP World, Bids Others Farewell 08/01/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The New Year brings some new faces in the intellectual property world as several changes were announced at the end of 2015, in particular at the European Commission, in the private sector and non-governmental organisations. In Geneva, the coordination of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries changes, and the UN Plant Treaty is working on intersessional committees. And a leading light in the IP publishing world has retired.
UN Initiative On Access To Medicines Calls For Contributions 07/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Secretary-General’s newly formed High Level Panel on Access to Medicines launched a call for contributions by stakeholders at the end of December, in an effort it says could transform millions of lives.
Zimbabwe Plans Open Access Policy, Part Of Efforts Across Africa 06/01/2016 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Zimbabwe has kicked off a new project to support adoption of research data management and sharing services among government, universities and research institutions as part of its plans to pave the way for a nationwide open access mandate. Meanwhile, similar efforts are appearing across Africa.
University Students Energise Global Campaign For Medical R&D Agreement 05/01/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The force of hundreds of students worldwide has gathered behind an international effort urging governments to promote research and development in a way that does not result in high-priced medicines. The initiative led by Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) seeks to address the longstanding gap in affordable medicines and puts the focus on the World Health Organization, whose members are currently working on this issue.