Immediate Action For Global Health Plan Called For At WHO Meeting 23/01/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A proposal at the World Health Organization (WHO) for early gains on a global plan for improving treatments for overlooked diseases has been tabled at a high-level meeting this week. Intellectual property rules are among the proposed early actions. The proposal was put forward by Kenya and Switzerland in the […]
WIPO Negotiators Try To Bear Down On Broadcasting Treaty 18/01/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New World Intellectual Property Organization officials negotiating this week on how to improve broadcasters’ and cablecasters’ ability to protect their signals have attempted to move into a deeper debate using an informal chair’s text of a draft treaty. More discussion among negotiators arose on 18 January after a quiet first day, but the […]
WIPO Committee Seeks Footing For Broadcasting Treaty Talks 17/01/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Just months before full-fledged negotiations are expected to begin on a treaty to boost broadcasters’ and cablecasters’ rights, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) negotiators meeting this week to iron out differences struggled to find their footing for a way forward. “It was a slow start,” said Jukka Liedes of Finland, chairman of […]
WHO Head Chan Cites Optimism, Issues Warning, Omits IP In Opening Remarks 04/01/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New In her opening remarks to staff on her first day in office, new World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan said she would not rock the organisation boat, would focus policy on women and Africa, issued a warning on behaviour, and otherwise avoided the contentious issues relating to health and intellectual property rights. […]
US Congress Passes Legislation On “Semi-Generic” Wines 15/12/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Just in time for the New Year, the United States Congress has passed a bill that will continue to allow the production of knock-off champagnes from outside of France. The European Union is currently examining a bill passed in December that would modify the US law on wines sold under “semi-generic” names […]
Patent Reform On US Senate Agenda; US Officials Question French Copyright Law 14/12/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New As the year end draws near, United States government officials are marking the ground for international intellectual property debates to come in 2007. On 13 December, Senator Patrick Leahy, incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee released his committee’s agenda for next year. He said he would prioritize updating of the US […]
WTO Meeting Reopens Discussions On Geographical Indications Register 12/12/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Informal consultations on 11 December on World Trade Organization negotiations to create a multilateral register for geographical indications produced little progress but showed a willingness by all sides to continue talking on the issue, participants said. The discussion took place in a special session of the WTO Council on the Agreement on […]
US Advises Developing Country FTA Partners Not To Follow WHO IP Plan 11/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The United States has busily negotiated bilateral free trade agreements with a variety of developing countries in recent years, and now appears to be using these to influence those countries’ positions in multilateral bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Developing countries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with […]
WIPO Committee Breaks Deadlock In Talks On Traditional Knowledge, Folklore 06/12/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this week broke a longstanding deadlock over how to discuss better protection of traditional knowledge and folklore. In addition, several countries stepped up their call for talks on genetic resources toward an international instrument. The carefully constructed path forward on traditional knowledge and […]
Cautious Start For WHO IP Working Group As Members Feel Their Way 05/12/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen After a slow start in a weeklong meeting on intellectual property and public health, World Health Organization (WHO) member states appear to have begun discussing the possible substance of a plan to ensure that medical treatments are developed for diseases mainly affecting poor countries. A number of developing countries called […]