African Union Backs WIPO DG Candidate Geoffrey Onyeama 03/02/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The 54-member African Union last week declared its support for Geoffrey Onyeama as a candidate for director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
“No Patents On Seeds” Serves EPO Patent Objection And Free Pepper Soup 03/02/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments 32 farmer, breeder and environmental organisations from 26 countries gathered by the “no-patents-on-seeds” alliance today filed an opposition against a patent on an insect-resistant sweet pepper at the European Patent Office in Munich.
WIPO Issues Tribute To Pete Seeger 03/02/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has posted a tribute to legendary American folk singer, songwriter and activist Pete Seeger, who died on 27 January at the age of 94.
Move On Data Protection Or Fail On TTIP, EU Parliament Chair Says 02/02/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments At the Munich Security Conference a year ago, there was a considerable first push for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Eight months after the start of official TTIP negotiations and with the Snowden revelations in between, the tone at the 50th edition of the high-level foreign policy event in Munich is somewhat changed.
WIPO Patent Law Committee Agrees On Studies, Seminars, Website Updates 01/02/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization patent law committee this week bridged significant differences and agreed on a range of activities for future work, each with their own goals for the international patent system in mind.
US Highest, India Lowest On US Chamber International IP Index 31/01/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center this week released a report ranking 25 countries on their IP environment.
MSF: AstraZeneca Pullout Of Neglected Disease R&D Proof System Broken 31/01/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Following news reports that pharmaceutical producer AstraZeneca will end its spending on early stage research and development for tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases, Médecins Sans Frontières issued a statement saying the move is further proof that substantive change to the global pharmaceutical R&D system is needed.
New Study Makes Case for Innovative Medicines 31/01/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new pharmaceutical industry-backed study draws attention to the value of innovative medicines in reducing healthcare costs and to the wider society that goes beyond clinical and personal values. However, in middle income countries, national prioritisation and improvements in healthcare infrastructure are needed to maximise the value of medicinal innovation, the study found.
Year Ahead: Internet Governance After Snowden: Cacophony Of Conferences 30/01/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Those interested in internet governance will have to put some money aside for 2014: rarely have there been so many conferences to talk about how to manage core internet resources and develop the common rules to govern more general aspects of global net communication.
At WIPO, Global Experts Share Experiences On Open Collaboration 29/01/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The recent World Intellectual Property Organization Conference on Open Innovation: Collaborative Projects and the Future of Knowledge showed the potential of open collaborative innovation in confronting some of today’s greatest challenges. This model of innovation is used in industries ranging from health research and solutions to climate change to film production and museum design.