WHO Experts To Analyse R&D Financing, Focus On Poor Country Diseases 31/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Health Organization expert working group tasked with studying proposals on financing and coordinating research and development for diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries will meet next week. The working group’s path is not easy as it follows a predecessor group that sustained allegations of conflict of interest and lack of transparency.
WIPO Discusses Industrial Design Treaty, Trademark Protection On Internet 30/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organization members congregated this week to advance work on a potential treaty on industrial designs, and to look into trademark protection against infringement on the internet, including through social media. But they ended early after nominal progress in these promising new areas for the United Nations agency.
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.
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.
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.
ICANN Suggests Moving Internet From US Control 27/03/2011 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Comments on the future of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) – which makes the underlying changes to the internet – are slowly trickling in at the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), with five days to go to the end of a consultation period. In its comments, the body managing the IANA functions for the United States suggests moving control of those functions out of longstanding, singular US control.
Google, Authors, Will Need To Rethink Digital Book Settlement 23/03/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Google’s efforts to resolve questions of copyright infringement in its digital library project did not yield the hoped-for result as a district court judge yesterday rejected the agreement. But the judge left open the possibility that the parties could come back again with revisions.
Tech Industry Blasts Obama Administration, Says Legitimate Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Being ‘Hijacked’ 17/03/2011 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Legitimate efforts in the United States to address counterfeiting problems have been “hijacked” to benefit rights holders who should protect their own interests and change their business models, the Computer & Communications Industry Association has said.