WCIT: Is It About The Internet Or Not? 22/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The debates are getting more heated with the December World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) in Dubai coming closer. Google today (21 November) launched one of its big campaigns to rally support against what it says is an attempt by some countries to “further regulate the internet” and potentially limit free speech through censorship.
WTO Dispute Body Hears Sides On Australia Tobacco Law 20/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday heard arguments by parties in a dispute about Australia’s new public health law requiring tobacco imports to be in plain packaging as a way to discourage tobacco use. Honduras presented a challenge to the Australian law, saying it is not in line with WTO rules on intellectual property rights, while Australia said it is a “sound, well-considered” action in the name of public health.
Pending Decision On GM Maize In Mexico Under Fire 15/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The ETC Group has issued a warning that “agribusiness giants Monsanto, DuPont and Dow are plotting the boldest coup of a global food crop in history,” as they have applied to the Mexican government for the planting of transgenic maize on 2,500,000 hectares, approximately the size of El Salvador.
Global Fund Names Mark Dybul Executive Director 15/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria appointed Ambassador Mark Dybul, a former US Global AIDS Coordinator, as the new head of the organisation. Additionally, the Board decided to move forward on implementing a new funding model, replacing the rounds-based system.
Medicines Patent Pool Names New Director 14/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Greg Perry, a longtime leader in the European generics industry, has been named the new executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool, a cutting-edge Geneva-based group working to increase access to affordable, high-quality medicines for HIV/AIDS patients in low and middle income countries.
Study Shows Drug Patents Can Be Extended For Decades 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The industry practice of extending patent protection on pharmaceuticals by obtaining additional patents on other features of the drug ingredients can lead to decades of delay in generic competition, a new study argues.
UN Joint Inspection Unit Launches New Website 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The only independent external oversight body of the United Nations has launched a new website, making it easier to access its reports dating back to 1968, and other information.
Technical Meeting Advances Ideas For WHO-Led R&D Financing Framework 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An outside meeting of experts has prepared a report ahead of this month’s gathering of World Health Organization members hoping to agree on new models for financing research and development for diseases lacking adequate market mechanisms and public policies. These include neglected diseases that predominantly affect poor populations unable to pay high prices needed to defray R&D costs under the existing commercial model.
India Publishes Draft Guidelines For Patenting Of TK and Biological Material 08/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The government of India has released a set of draft guidelines to be followed in the patenting of traditional knowledge and biological material. Comments are due by 22 November.
Could US Election Result Reverse Ever-Stronger Copyright Protection? 07/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments US voters returned President Obama for four more years, and kept his party’s dominance of the US Senate as well as the opposition party’s dominance of the House of Representatives. While the Obama administration has generally allied itself with copyright interests, some see the possibility of a reversal in the US Congress of a trend toward stronger copyright protection.