WHO Wrestles With Engagement Of “Non-State Actors” 25/06/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization is undergoing major reform including working to stabilise its fiscal future, and members are trying to set out careful terms for working with and receiving support from entities referred to as non-state actors, such as private foundations and organisations.
Expectations High As End Of Substantive Negotiations Near For Blind Treaty Negotiators 25/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Marrakesh, Morocco – Today is the day for World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators to find consensus on longstanding issues and come up with language that can satisfy all countries’ concerns on a treaty, the first of its kind, that would provide copyright exceptions for visually impaired people to have wider access to books worldwide.
Voices Of The Blind In Marrakesh Hope To Carry A Long Way 25/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Marrakesh, Morocco – Yesterday, under a scorching sun, the World Blind Union organised an event to raise awareness about the negotiations taking place inside the Marrakesh Palais des Congrès. Behind them, in the building, negotiators have been at work for a week in an effort to agree and adopt a treaty to provide visually impaired people with a broader access to books.
New Draft Text Shows Progress On WIPO Treaty On Books For The Print-Disabled 25/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Marrakesh, Morocco – Negotiators were still hard at work here at press time trying to reach the deadline of tomorrow set by the president of the diplomatic conference, to get agreed language to a drafting committee tasked with delivering a treaty text. The treaty is intended to confer on visually impaired people a wider access to books by providing exceptions to copyrighted works in special format.
Special Report: European Dialogue On Internet Governance: Regulating Cyberspace After Prism? 24/06/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Lisbon, Portugal – The surveillance affair around the US Prism programme left its mark on the 2013 European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) in Lisbon last week. Legal experts at the sixth edition of the European version of the Internet Governance Forum pondered possible legal reactions, companies revealed as targets or (unwilling) partners of the programme tried to limit the damage, while Swedish ambassador Olaf Ehrenkrona admitted that state surveillance programs need to be reconsidered given the ease of mass surveillance in the era of a public internet space.
US Gives Boost To Materials Genome Initiative 24/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Obama administration and academic and industry partners today announced their commitment to support the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), a public-private endeavor whose aim is to reduce the time required to develop novel materials that can “fuel advanced manufacturing and bolster the 21st century American economy.”
South Africa A Leader In Renewable Energy, Lagging In IP Rights 24/06/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Leader of the newly formed Renewables Club and rated as a world leader in the green energy race, South Africa has done little to secure this advantage with intellectual property rights of its own.
WIPO Negotiators Reach Breakthrough On “3-Step Test” In Treaty For Blind 24/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments Marrakesh, Morocco – A breakthrough was reached over the weekend in the World Intellectual Property Organization negotiations to provide more access to visually impaired people, according to participating sources. Agreement appears to have been struck on the controversial issue of restrictions to the exceptions to copyright that the treaty is proposing to establish.
WHO Restructures Medicines Department, Including Innovation, Policy 24/06/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment This summer through September, a restructuring is taking place under the World Health Organization Health Systems and Innovation cluster that has relevance for intellectual property and innovation issues.
Harvard Professor A Flag Bearer For Agricultural Innovation, Biotechnologies In Africa 21/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A Harvard University professor known for advancing global development issues hails the merits of agricultural innovation, including biotechnologies, as the unique solution to food security.