US To Seek 15 Percent Cut In WIPO Patent Fees; Idris Age Debated 20/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The United States is proposing a patent fee cut at the World Intellectual Property Organization in light of a sizeable financial surplus at the United Nations organization. The proposal is included in materials for the 25-28 June WIPO Program and Budget Committee (PBC) meeting, which may also address an internal “desk-to-desk” review […]
Battle For A New WIPO Treaty On Broadcasting Begins In Earnest 19/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization members are engaged in a critical weeklong meeting that will determine the fate of a proposed WIPO treaty on broadcasters’ rights. At the end of a second slow day, it was unclear which way it will go, according to participants, but things are intensifying and WIPO is watching […]
Novartis Case Against India’s Patent Law Resumes This Week 18/06/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch The latest chapter in the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis’ challenge to the Indian intellectual property system begins on 18 June when the Indian Patent and Trademark Appellate Board (IPAB) is scheduled to hold its first hearing. However, lawyers expect “teething” problems to delay the proceedings. Although the IPAB […]
In A ‘Major Achievement’, WIPO Negotiators Create New Development Mandate 18/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Members of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee addressing proposals for a WIPO Development Agenda last week potentially rewrote the UN body’s mandate, pending approval. Negotiators concluded a weeklong meeting with agreements on a wide range of proposals for new development-related activities – some hard to imagine for WIPO two years ago […]
WIPO Committee Reaches Breakthrough Agreements On Development Agenda 15/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New with Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) committee negotiating proposals this week for a stronger development focus at WIPO appeared to be on track to finishing work by meeting’s end Friday, though some hurdles remained. At press time, breakthrough agreements had been reached on contentious issues such as […]
Negotiators Agree To Add Access To Knowledge To WIPO Mandate 14/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen World Intellectual Property Organization members negotiating development-related proposals for WIPO’s future mandate reached preliminary agreement on several more key issues Thursday, including access to knowledge and exceptions and limitations. Agreement came after lengthy talks on what officials described as the most difficult area of the negotiations, which are expected to […]
WIPO Development Agenda Meeting Snags On Norm-Setting 14/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) members this week are engaged in intensive negotiations on proposals to change WIPO’s activities and mandate to include more development issues. The Group B of developed countries, particularly the United States, has taken a hard line against proposals relating to flexibilities in World Trade Organization […]
WIPO Development Agenda Meeting Starts Directly With Proposals 12/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New with Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A weeklong meeting on proposals to change the World Intellectual Property Organization mandate or practices toward development began almost immediately with a focus on substantive proposals, according to participating officials. But the more difficult ones are still to come. The 11-15 June meeting of the Provisional Committee […]
US, China Fail To Resolve Differences In Consultations On WTO IP Cases 11/06/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The United States and China last week failed to resolve differences raised by the US dispute at the World Trade Organization over China’s intellectual property protection and market access for US copyrighted material, according to the Chinese government. The United States filed two WTO disputes on 10 April (IPW, Subscribers, 24 April, […]
G8 Summit Agrees On Africa Declaration With Weakened TRIPS Language 08/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The Group of Eight (G8) final declaration on “growth and responsibility” in Africa is being met with initial reactions from observers that it contains a weaker approach to address patents and medicines to ensure “universal access.” Discussions about patents and medicines in any forum appear to lead to the World […]