US Mission To Fund WIPO Work On Counterfeits 26/04/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United States mission in Geneva announced today a new international initiative to raise public awareness about protection of intellectual property rights. The initiative is a cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization and has support from the governments of Kenya, Morocco and the Philippines, US Ambassador Betty King said at a reception.
Global Events Take Aim At Health’s Biggest Enemy: Non-Communicable Diseases 26/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Non-communicable diseases such as cancer and diabetes now have a global reach, and are the leading cause of death, according to the World Health Organization, which describes them as an “epidemic.” Once considered problems of rich countries, they now hit low- and middle-income populations the worst, says WHO, but preventive actions could be taken. Meanwhile, civil society is warning about the lack of availability of non-communicable diseases medications in developing countries.
WIPO Begins New Era With A Light, Transparent Office Building 26/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment More than two years after construction was begun and 13 years since its approval, a large new World Intellectual Property Organization office building quietly opened doors in March and the exodus from across the street and several other locations in Geneva began for some 500 employees of the United Nations organisation.
New US Tech Industry Lobbyist In Geneva 25/04/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The technology industry – including Google, Microsoft, and Facebook – has a new lobbyist in Geneva.
Ruling Against Google Could Affect Open Source Use 25/04/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new ruling from Texas against Google found patent infringement in some of its use of open-source Linux code, a decision that could affect the use of Linux and other open source systems that build upon it, according to a news source.
No Toast Yet To WTO Consensus On Wines And Spirits Geographical Indications 21/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Mandated efforts to create an international register of geographical indications have risen in importance at the World Trade Organization in recent weeks. And as the pressure to produce negotiating texts for the Doha Round discussions climaxed this week, some dissonant notes were heard in the main negotiating group of countries on GIs.
WHO Pandemic Flu Deal Doesn’t Go Far Enough, NGOs Say 21/04/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Two civil society groups said the recent World Health Organization agreement on influenza pandemic strategy is an improvement on the present situation but has key shortcomings.
Plant Breeder’s Rights – A Blessing Or A Curse? 20/04/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Niels Louwaars of the Centre for Genetic Resources, Wageningen University, The Netherlands, discusses the importance of plant breeder’s rights. He makes the case for a carefully balanced protection for plant breeders and changes to patents in agriculture, in order to ensure a competitive, diversified supply of plant varieties and seeds.
European Commission Says It Deepens Commitment To Net Neutrality 19/04/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment With new European Union rules on telecommunications set to take effect next month, the European Commission today adopted a report which it said further commits it to principles of openness and neutrality on the internet.
Lessig At CERN: Scientific Knowledge Should Not Be Reserved For Academic Elite 19/04/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Free culture leader and Harvard University law professor Larry Lessig was at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) yesterday to talk about access to scientific knowledge on internet. In the symbolic place where the World Wide Web was invented and where scientists are now trying to unravel the creation of the universe, Lessig praised CERN’s open access initiative and in this temple of reasoning, said the copyright architecture was on the edge of absurdity.