Modalities Drafted For WTO Geographical Indications, Biodiversity Amendment 15/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara A confidential draft text circulated recently among some World Trade Organization members reveals an attempt to consolidate separate proposals aimed at the protection of product names with location-related associations and characteristics (called geographical indications) and at the protection of biological diversity and traditional knowledge. Proponents appear to still be seeking support in […]
WIPO Development Committee Ends First Year On Mostly Agreeable Note 12/07/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New The World Intellectual Property Organization’s newest and potentially highest impact committee – aimed at ensuring all of the organisation’s activities are sufficiently development-friendly to fit its wide-ranging membership – completed its first year with some concrete progress and lots of hints for the future, including many new faces taking over the debate […]
WIPO Development Committee Makes Careful Progress On Implementation 11/07/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Members of the new World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) this week are negotiating implementation of agreed changes to WIPO practices intended to ensure they are development-friendly. Perhaps predictably, countries with the majority of the world’s intellectual property rights, the leading developed countries, are generally providing an […]
Final Decisions of Convention on Biological Diversity Governing Body Available 10/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Kaitlin Mara The final decisions of the ninth and most recent meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) organising body have been released, which include the breakthrough results of a work plan for achieving an international access and benefit-sharing regime. While not appearing significantly different than prior versions discussed in this paper, the […]
Patent Pooling Is Next Step For Innovative Drug Purchasing Agency 09/07/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Kaitlin Mara A “landmark” decision was made last week by a unique intergovernmental initiative for drug financing in poor and underserved areas: an agreement on the usefulness of sharing intellectual property rights to lower costs and increase quality of needed medicines. At its eighth executive board meeting in Geneva on 2 and 3 July, […]
Patent Searches In Portuguese And The WIPO Development Agenda 08/07/2008 by Claudia Jurberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Claudia Jurberg for Intellectual Property Watch RIO DE JANEIRO – Last year, Brazil and India presented their candidacies and were accepted to operate as international authorities for patent searches at the World Intellectual Property Organization. In addition, Brazil suggested that the Portuguese language be considered for publications. The country will begin operating a patent […]
Intellectual Property Regime Stifles Science and Innovation, Nobel Laureates Say 07/07/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 25 Comments By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch MANCHESTER, UK – The basic framework of the intellectual property (IP) regime aims to “close down access to knowledge” rather than allowing its dissemination, Professor Joseph Stiglitz said at a 5 July lecture on “Who Owns Science?” Stiglitz, a 2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics, and Professor John Sulston, […]
Member Nations Balk At World Customs Organization IP Enforcement Push 27/06/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments [Note: the summary text of the Policy Commission session is now available here] By Kaitlin Mara Concerns ran high in some developing countries last week that their voices have been largely absent from a draft set of standards for heightened intellectual property enforcement advancing rapidly at the World Customs Organization. With the draft standards sent […]
WIPO Patent Committee Opens Way To New Thinking On Future Work Plan 26/06/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment [Note: the final version of the chair’s text is now available on the WIPO website.] By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members discussing a work plan for the committee on patent law on Thursday finished work for the year by opening the way for the committee to address a wider range of topics when […]
WIPO Patent Meeting May End Early With Little Harmonisation In Work Plan 25/06/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members addressing international patent policy this week may end work early after an apparent agreement to recommend the continuation of the committee next year and a possible focus on some 20 issues. The members appear to be planning to recommend further research by WIPO for the next meeting […]