WIPO Copyright Committee Opens With Ideas, Questions On Internet, Terms Of Protection 28/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments This week’s meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee opened today with what officials perceived as good momentum. Argentina tabled a proposal to help discussions on deferred transmissions in the context of a potential treaty protecting broadcasting organisations, which have been a sticking point in negotiations. Civil society, however, voiced concerns on the provisions of a potential treaty protecting broadcasters against signal piracy, underlining the 50-year envisioned protection and the need to carve out strong limitations and exceptions.
MPP Board Gives Green Light To Expansion, Now Has To Identify Candidates 28/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Medicines Patent Pool announced this week that its Board agreed on the extension of the MPP mandate to patented medicines on the World Health Organization Essential Medicines List. The decision follows an extensive feasibility study. During a side event held on the margins of the annual World Health Assembly, Patent Pool officials explained the findings of the study, while in the audience, a representative of the pharmaceutical industry suggested a cautious approach.
EU Governments Reach Negotiating Stance On Copyright Reform 25/05/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment European Union member states today reportedly agreed on their negotiating position on the proposed copyright directive, and early reactions are unenthusiastic.
WHA Agrees On Recommendations To Reinvigorate Plan Of Action To Boost R&D, Access 25/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Ten years after the adoption of a World Health Organization plan of action meant to stimulate innovation for diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries, and with very little to show for it since, delegates at the World Health Assembly this week agreed to a number of recommendations to reinvigorate the effort. How to finance the implementation of those recommendations, however, is unclear.
World Health Assembly Begins Discussion On Access To Medicines 22/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On the second day of this week’s annual World Health Assembly, delegates began discussing the issue of “shortages of, and access to, medicines and vaccines.” It is generally held that access to safe, efficacious, and affordable medicines is of paramount importance to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, but there seems to be no expeditious solution, and no lack of divergent views on how to get there.
AI Takes Multidimensional Role In Emergency Response And Outbreaks 20/05/2018 by Damilola Adepeju for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In an age where emphasis on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for the good of humanity is increasing, last week’s AI for Good Global Summit at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) brought leading experts together to demonstrate the multidimensionality of AI in emergency response and outbreaks, as well as in risk reduction.
Women And IP As Topic To Be Pursued At WIPO Committee On Development And IP 20/05/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the wake of the annual intellectual property day this year focusing on women, the World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and IP this week agreed to discuss women and IP at its next session, as the first topic under a new agenda. The committee also agreed to a new project on the role of women in innovation. In other areas, more discussions are foreseen on whether regular international conferences on IP and development can be approved, and on recommendations by an independent expert group on the implementation of the WIPO Development Agenda.
WIPO Discusses New Field Projects On Women, Tourism, And The Software Sector 17/05/2018 by Damilola Adepeju for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The ongoing 21st session of the World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and IP this week considered a diverse set of three new project proposals. Canada, Mexico and the United States together, as well as Kenya, and Peru, proposed creative projects regarding the use of intellectual property for development related to women, tourism and […]
Data Collection For AI Solves Problems, Helps Researchers, Panellists Tell UN-Led Event 17/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At a time when data collection has become a prickly subject and public defiance against large data-collecting companies such as Facebook, Google or Amazon has risen, a UN-led international summit on artificial intelligence this week sought to present the potential of the new technology in solving global problems. Data is the basic fuel of artificial intelligence, and panellists at the event showed how data collection has led to problem solving. For instance, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative hopes to give biomedical researchers the ability to tap into the global conversation and browse some 200 years of research.
Artificial Intelligence For Good: 3 Days To Discuss AI Solutions 15/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The second edition of an annual global summit on “artificial intelligence for good” spearheaded by the UN International Telecommunication Union opened today. A focus of the summit is how artificial intelligence can help advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The opening statements by UN heads, including the World Health Organization, showed growing interest in new technology to help in all kinds of areas such as health and agriculture.