Divergences Clarified On Protection Of Traditional Knowledge At WIPO 18/04/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments From the outset of a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting to advance a potential treaty text on the protection of traditional knowledge, discussions on draft articles of the possible treaty confirmed divergence of views, notably between developed and developing countries.
EU: Key Committee Urged To Seek Parliamentary Rejection Of ACTA 17/04/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The rapporteur of the lead committee of the European Parliament on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, David Martin, today published his draft recommendation on the highly controversial agreement. If the International Trade Committee agrees on the draft, the plenary will be asked to state that it “declines to consent to conclusion of the agreement.”
Medicines Patent Pool Director Ellen ‘t Hoen To Leave Next Month 16/04/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Executive Director Ellen ‘t Hoen is departing the Medicines Patent Pool, the cutting edge UN spin-off project that works to lower prices on and stimulate new development of HIV medicines and other products through negotiating voluntary licence agreements. According to a release, ‘t Hoen has fulfilled the mission of guiding the organisation from a startup onto “firm footing” and has informed the Board that she will leave on 1 May.
Changes Coming For Open Access To Research In Europe 16/04/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Pressure is growing in Europe for open, free access to research results, particularly if they are publicly funded. The European Commission (EC) said this week it will propose a plan for open access soon, while the Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK are cracking down on researchers who don’t comply with their policies.
Is ACTA Dying And Are G8 Countries Reacting To Its Impending Death? 15/04/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Rapporteurs for three committees of the European Parliament (Legal, Industry and Trade, and International Trade) have tabled reports or announced what they will propose on the plurilateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). And the Group of 8 may have signalled a shift to a narrower approach on intellectual property rights at its meeting last week.
Negotiators Aim For Progress On Traditional Knowledge Protection Treaty 14/04/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Country delegates will try to make progress on a treaty text to protect traditional knowledge from misappropriation at the World Intellectual Property Organization next week. The hope of many is to bring it far enough for the annual members’ meeting in October to schedule a high-level treaty negotiation next year.
US Supreme Court Edges Toward Reviewing Extent Of GMO Patents 13/04/2012 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It’s unclear if the US Supreme Court wants to address yet another controversial issue in patent law, but on 2 April, the court took a small step in that direction. That’s when the court formally asked the US Justice Department to opine on whether the high court should grant certiorari in Bowman v. Monsanto Co.
Former Senior Staff Say OECD Countries Trying To Stifle UNCTAD’s Work 12/04/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A letter co-signed by 49 former staff members of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development denouncing efforts by some countries to muffle the institution’s voice was released yesterday at a press conference.
Interview With Vladimir Nika: Enforcing IP Rights In Albania 2010 – 2015 12/04/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In 2010, institutions in Albania created a strategy to help enforce intellectual property rights within five years. Intellectual Property Watch recently conducted a written Q and A with Vladimir Nika, Albanian office director for the Eastern European law firm PETOŠEVIĆ, on the progress and prospects for the Albanian legislature’s implementation of the 2010 IPR enforcement strategy.
US Government Report: IP Boon To US Economy, Accounts For 40 Million Jobs 12/04/2012 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property-intensive industries in the United States support at least 40 million jobs and contribute more than $5 trillion – or 34.8 percent of – US gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report released by the Obama administration Wednesday.