Interrelations Between Plant Treaty, UPOV, WIPO, Farmers’ Rights – Do They Equate? 02/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Farmers’ rights are enshrined in the international plant treaty. However, their implementation is an ongoing issue, which the plant treaty is seeking to address by looking at the interrelation that might exist with other international instruments. Separately, civil society is asserting that the World Intellectual Property Organization favours the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in its technical assistance. But the WIPO Director General countered that this is decidedly not the case.
WHO Issues Guideline For Manufacturers Of Generic Hepatitis C Medicine 02/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Health Organization has issued a guidance document on the design of bioequivalence studies for a leading hepatitis C medicine. Generic drug companies seeking prequalification by the WHO need to demonstrate that their generic version is equivalent to the originator drug.
Thailand Toughens Copyright Law To Deal With Internet Providers, Unlawful Movie Recording In Theaters 01/04/2015 by Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments BANGKOK – Thailand has toughened its copyright law to include, for the first time, responsibility of intermediaries, or internet service providers, for infringement of copyright work on the internet, and separately, to penalise people who record movies being shown in theatres without authorisation with a maximum imprisonment of four years.
EPO Backs Patents On Conventional Plants: Broccoli, Tomato Cases Decided 01/04/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 12 Comments The highest court of the European Patent Office has declared that plants or seeds obtained through conventional breeding methods are patentable.
Panel: Open Data, Open Access, And Open Education – Key To Open Innovation? 31/03/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intellectual property stimulates creativity but at the same time holds back innovation, speakers said at a recent event on open innovation and alternative business models. The roundtable looked a range of models, such as open source and open data, and their advantages, to “all rights reserved” protection.
Supplier of Essential Medicines Supports TRIPS Waiver For Least-Developed Countries 30/03/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The IDA Foundation, a worldwide supplier of essential medicines to low-and medium income countries, has backed the request by least-developed countries to extend a waiver that allows them to forfeit the obligations to protect intellectual property on pharmaceutical products. UNITAID, the UN-related drug purchasing mechanism, also issued a statement in support of the extension. The request is expected to be discussed at the World Trade Organization in June.
Manila Principles On Intermediary Liability Offer Vision For Balance 27/03/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new set of principles launched this week by a range of global non-governmental organisations attempts to set out guidelines for internet intermediaries’ liability for content of communications. The six principles, which are seeking endorsement from organisations and individuals worldwide, address freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to privacy.
IP Industry Issues Report On Intermediaries’ Role In Fighting IP Infringement In Supply Chain 27/03/2015 by Elena Bourtchouladze for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A leading business group has published a report that it says shows how intermediaries can help keep fake and pirated products out of the supply chain and off the internet. The International Chamber of Commerce BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) released the 120-page report on 26 March. The paper is titled “Roles […]
How The Leaked TPP ISDS Chapter Threatens Intellectual Property Limitations and Exceptions 26/03/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments By Prof. Sean Flynn, Associate Director, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP), American University Washington College of Law Reposted with permission from Infojustice.org, original here. I released a statement earlier today opining that the today’s leak of the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) chapter proposed for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement (available […]
UN Human Rights Council Approves Expert On Privacy In The Digital Age 26/03/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The UN Human Rights Council at its 28th session today in Geneva adopted a resolution that establishes a new mandate for a Special Rapporteur on Privacy in the Digital Age. The Council also approved a resolution extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights for 3 years, and took note of the current rapporteur’s recent report raising concerns about the impact of copyright on human rights.