US Farmers Sue Monsanto Over GMO Patents, Demand Right To Conventional Crops 30/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 23 Comments The Public Patent Foundation filed suit yesterday against Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seeds with farmers asking to be protected against the biotechnology giant’s potential lawsuits in case of accidental contamination from plants grown with its seeds.
MPAA Head Criticises China, ‘Rogue’ Websites 29/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A week into his new job as CEO and Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), former Senator Chris Dodd gave his “inaugural” speech salted with jabs at China and websites that carry movie content without authorisation of the rights holders.
Registration Still Open For WHO Sessions On R&D Financing 29/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The expert group at the World Health Organization looking for ideas to fund research into diseases disproportionately affecting poor populations will open up its first meeting next week to public input. Participants can register for the open sessions until Monday, 4 April at noon. Proposals for a presentation to the group are due by Friday, 1 April at noon.
Intellectual Property Creates Space For Competition In Innovation, WIPO Head Says 29/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property is an available space in which any country can compete, but certain policies are helpful, the head of the World Intellectual Property Organization said today. And he described a global geographic shift in innovation away from Europe and the United States.
Committee Nears Final Review Of WHO Performance On H1N1 Pandemic 29/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The committee reviewing the World Health Organization’s response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and whether the international organisation was unduly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry in its response is working this week to formulate its final report.
Call Issued For UN Intervention In Trans-Pacific Regional Trade Pact 28/03/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments As officials gather this week to continue negotiations for a trade agreement among countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, a multi-country set of non-governmental organisations and academics urged a United Nations-appointed official to intervene, on grounds that the trade deal will severely impact the public health of poor populations in those countries.
India, WIPO Connect On Traditional Knowledge Protection, With Or Without Patents 28/03/2011 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization went to India last week to highlight the country’s success in creating a digital library of Indian traditional knowledge, which it uses to prevent illegitimate patenting of its resources. But whether WIPO found a way to fit the Indian project into the UN agency’s mission to protect and promote intellectual property rights was unclear.
US, China Meet On Biotech Patenting 28/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) hosted a workshop on biotechnology in Beijing today.
Yale Conference Revealed Secrets Of Online Advertising 28/03/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A conference of the Yale Law School Information Society Project held 25-26 March exposed the underlying thinking of major advertising players like Google, the Wall Street Journal and others. You may be surprised what they revealed about the use of your personal data, but then again, you may be more empowered than you thought to control your relationship to pervasive big advertising, which, it appears, is here to stay.
Experts Meet To Weigh Health And Environment Scientific Innovations 28/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Scientific advances in life sciences, in particular health, are being evaluated by experts this week in Lyon, France, with the stated hope of bringing new answers to global health challenges, such as funding, costs, and innovation.