WIPO Seminar: Digitisation Boosts Production Of New Music, Movies, Books 29/10/2015 by Marianna Drake for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The latest instalment of the World Intellectual Property Organization seminar series, “The Economics of Intellectual Property,” set out to answer the question of whether the process of digitisation has affected the supply of new creative works.
WIPO, WTO, WHO Heads Underline Need For Better Access To Medicines 28/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Trade, health, and intellectual property came together today as the heads of three specialised international organisations held an annual symposium to stimulate discussions on how the three can best help public health, and notably access to medicines in developing countries.
Kenya Considers Lifting Ban On GMOs; Seed Patents In Debate 28/10/2015 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NAIROBI, Kenya – A Kenyan government plan to lift the ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is stirring a heated debate here, with experts warning on safety and the East African nation’s preparedness for the technology.
HIV Medicine Aluvia Stock-Out Dogs South Africa, Raising Patent Concerns 28/10/2015 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa – While Médecins Sans Frontières have blamed stock-outs of ‘Aluvia’ on the refusal to licence a patent for a generic of the HIV medicine in South Africa by AbbVie pharmaceutical company leading to persistent supply problems, the company said it has taken measures to address the problem.
European Parliament Votes Down Net Neutrality Amendments 27/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch After another heated debate, the European Parliament today voted down several amendments aimed at strengthening network neutrality in the new telecommunications package which has been on the agenda of the European Union for more than two years.
Plant Treaty Budget, Work Programme Approved; Farmers Concerned 26/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The treaty on plant genetic resources held its governing body meeting earlier this month with new initiatives to bring financial sustainability to the treaty, in particular to study the possibility of a subscription system to access the treaty’s plant genetic materials. Also, the Governing Body approved the first work programme of a global information system, which includes an initiative to enhance the use of gene bank materials, to the dismay of farmers’ organisations.
US Copyright Office Draft Strategic Plan For Next Five Years 23/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Copyright Office has issued a draft strategic plan for 2016-2020, with a 30-day comment period. The draft strategic plan is available here. The United States Copyright Office “supports a vibrant marketplace of creativity and innovation that, in recent years, has been worth trillions of dollars to the global economy and immeasurable value […]
“Silence Is Too Often The Only Safe Option Left” – UN Report On Sources And Whistleblowers 22/10/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Governments and international organizations are failing to ensure adequate protections to whistleblowers and sources of information, according to a new report* by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye.
WSIS+10 Explained: Interview With Constance Bommelaer, Internet Society 22/10/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On 15-16 December 2015, government officials from more than 190 countries will meet in New York to discuss the future of the internet. They will review progress made in achieving the goals set forth 10 years ago at the Tunis World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) meeting. The aptly named WSIS+10 Review is a pivotal point in determining the fate of the open internet – discussions at the review can influence how the internet is governed for the next decade, as well as whether the internet will continue as a means of economic development and opportunity for the global economy. Alongside this week’s WSIS+10 stakeholder meetings at the UN, Intellectual Property Watch’s William New sat down with the Senior Director of Global Internet Policy at the Internet Society, Constance Bommelaer, to discuss what to expect in New York and the impact this meeting will have on the future of the internet.
Special Report: WHO Advisory Group On Flu Preparedness Hears Comments, Addresses New Genetics Issue 22/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Health Organization members and stakeholders were invited to provide comments this month on the organisation’s framework to spur preparedness for future influenza pandemics and ensure treatments will reach developing countries. The framework is expected to undergo a review in 2016. The advisory group to the initiative also went through issues such as contributions by manufacturers, and how to deal with genetic sequence data.