WHO Board To Address R&D Financing, Influenza 14/01/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Finding financing to develop medicines for under-researched diseases, regulatory harmonisation, and pandemic influenza preparedness will top the agenda at next week’s World Health Organization Executive Board meeting.
US Weighs Copyright As Barrier To Grey Market Imports 23/12/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments It’s an unconventional use of copyright law. But if Omega SA wins its case before the US Supreme Court, the famous Swiss watch company will have established a powerful new weapon against grey market goods in that country.
ACTA May Prompt Quick Restart To EU Harmonisation Of Criminal Enforcement Of IP 21/12/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union appears to be preparing for adoption of the “gold standard” of enforcement, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), as intellectual property law expert Annette Kur from the Max Planck Institute of Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law said it is now called.
IP References Left Out Of Last-Minute, Weak Global Climate Deal In Copenhagen 19/12/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment COPENHAGEN – Despite last-minute pep talk by US President Barack Obama, it proved extremely difficult to secure an international climate deal at the high-level meeting in Copenhagen on 18 December. Intellectual property issues were again discussed in a smaller group during one of the last days, but are not mentioned in the final text, which is entitled the “Copenhagen Accord.”
WIPO Draft On Visually Impaired Shows Breakthrough; A-V Treaty Negotiation Under Discussion 17/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Draft chair’s conclusions out today show the World Intellectual Property Organization is poised to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs to expand access to reading materials for the visually impaired. WIPO members this week also are considering the possibility of high-level negotiations on a new treaty for the protection of audiovisual performances.
Copenhagen Meeting: Third Tech Transfer Draft May Go To Ministers, With IP 16/12/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment COPENHAGEN – A third version of the draft text on development and transfer of technology was issued at the high-level climate meeting in Copenhagen on 15 December and includes language on intellectual property rights. It may soon be presented to the ministers as the meeting goes into its “high-level session” during the last crucial days, or at least the IP language may be referred to the ministers to discuss, sources said.
Civil Society, Elected Officials Rally Behind UNITAID Patent Pool 14/12/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments This week’s consideration of an implementation plan for a medicines patent pool by the board of oversight body UNITAID stirred a stream of stakeholder letters from around the world.
Tough Talks On IP In Technology Paper At Copenhagen; No Mention In Latest Draft 14/12/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments COPENHAGEN – A draft text on development and transfer of technology was subject to intense – and indeed heated – discussions during the first week of the high-level climate meeting in Copenhagen. But no intellectual property was mentioned in the latest draft text that was issued on 14 December.
WIPO Traditional Knowledge Meeting Stalls, But Begins To Breach ‘Trust Gap’ 14/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After an auspicious beginning on substantive issues, the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee stalled on matters of procedure at the end of its meeting last week. With no mandate, a committee working group will not meet in early 2010 as planned, and the full committee will move meet again sooner than scheduled to try to agree on process.
Restoration Of French Philosopher’s Work Online In Argentina Seen As An Opening 14/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments An Argentinean judge’s recent decision to drop charges against a philosophy professor for alleged copyright infringement is being seen as a stepping stone to drawing attention to copyright issues in Latin America, according to advocates. Professor Horacio Potel created open source websites to post foreign philosophers’ work in Spanish. The websites were named “Nietzsche in Spanish,” “Heidegger in Spanish,” and “Derrida in Spanish.”