Disagreements Remain In WHO Talks On Virus-Sharing After Chan Proposal 22/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Health Organization members this week offered views on the global system for virus- and benefit-sharing for pandemic influenza following recently proposed solutions by Director General Margaret Chan aimed at changing the current, ad-hoc model to a more predictable, sustainably-funded system.
Spurring Local Innovation In Africa By Improving Access To Information 19/10/2009 by Robinson Esalimba for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 1 Comment Greater awareness of the existence of open access information resources for innovation and making the information easily accessible and relevant to developing country users could help spur innovation in these countries, according to top technical assistance providers and local innovators.
European Union Prepares A New Intellectual Property Rights Strategy 15/10/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments Intellectual property rights and their protection will be high on the agenda of the European institutions in the upcoming legislature, representatives from the European Commission, European Council and the European Parliament said at the first European Innovation Summit in Brussels yesterday. Stronger IP rights (IPR) protection was declared by representatives of all three institutions as indispensable to promote innovation and the knowledge society, while only a few voices were raised asking not to overreach in IPR regulation.
WIPO Members Step Up To Implement Development Agenda 15/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organisation members are preparing to take the reins of the Development Agenda as it becomes clear that implementation success will depend on their actions. And their actions must not only be focused on specific projects such as patent databases but also on the broader spirit of the agenda for change at WIPO, key developing countries said.
Development Agenda Conference: WIPO Can Enable Fair Technology Transfer 13/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New Leave a Comment Development is to be a lead priority in the World Intellectual Property Organization, with the 2007 Development Agenda under implementation. But what a development-friendly intellectual property programme will look like in practice is not yet entirely clear. On 13-14 October at WIPO, stakeholders are gathered to discuss examples of development and IP and projects implementing the agenda.
Internet Domain Dispute Resolution Working, Needs Updates, WIPO Told 12/10/2009 by William New and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments One of the features of the multi-faceted United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization is its arbitration and mediation of disputes over internet domain names. At a conference at WIPO today, supporters and lawyers who use the system said it is working but suggested some further improvements and a fear of more new domains being introduced.
Bangkok Climate Meeting Leaves Political Issues, Compulsory Licences Unresolved 12/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments BANGKOK – Humanity may be facing the single greatest threat to its future in history, yet significant political disagreements still stand in the way of common action needed to combat what will be a common crisis. One potential blocking point appears to be whether compulsory licensing may be encouraged for poor countries needing climate technologies.
Iceland Panel: French ‘3-Strike’ Rule Spreading But Not Best Option 07/10/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment COPENHAGEN – A panel discussing the copyright challenges posed by social media at a recent conference in Iceland concluded that while new and stricter regulations as proposed in France may not be a bad idea, the best solution is to provide consumers with quality services for which they are willing to pay. Meanwhile, there are new developments at the European level.
ITU Telecom World: Innovation, Growth, Green Technology – And Stronger Copyrights 06/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The 2009 edition of the United Nations telecommunications agency annual summit opened its doors yesterday, bringing together government, industry leaders, and other stakeholders in a networking effort to address global challenges in the information society. Meanwhile, the head of the UN intellectual property agency took a shot at internet service providers and the need for stronger copyright protection.
Second HADOPI Law Faces French Constitutionality Test 02/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Just days after the French Parliament adopted a bill aiming to protect literary and artistic intellectual property rights online on 25 September; the law is being challenged on constitutionality grounds.