Decisions On WIPO Copyright, Trademark Committees Elusive, Consultations Ongoing 08/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization governing body started examining the work of its committees yesterday, with the hope of solving some issues that those committees were unable to solve during the year. This included the work programmes of the committees on copyright and on trademarks and geographical indications.
At WTO, Governments, Health Advocates See Benefit From TRIPS; LDC Waiver Urged 07/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Access to medicines and innovations was the subject of a panel organised at the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week. After 20 years of the WTO intellectual property agreement, panellists looked at the impact of the agreement on access to medicines, and in particular the use of its flexibilities. In addition, a delegate of India detailed the legal-political aspects of an upcoming WTO decision on disputes for harmful actions that do not technically violate any WTO rules.
WIPO Members Urge Action On Range Of Treaties 06/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization members called for swift adoption of new treaties at the outset of the organisation’s annual General Assemblies this week.
TPP Heads Into Ratification Game 06/10/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Reactions to yesterday’s announcement that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is in the books quickly turned to “what’s next?” with European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem sending congratulations and expressing expectations that “with TPP done, we will be able to approach our TTIP negotiations with an even greater focus from both sides.” But considerable work remains for TPP to come into effect.
Countries Seek Ways To Restore Work On Traditional Knowledge Protection At WIPO 06/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The fate of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee dedicated to finding solutions to protect traditional knowledge, generic resources, and folklore is being actively discussed informally at the organisation’s general assembly.
IP Clauses In FTAs Should Not Go Beyond TRIPS, Generics Manufacturers Say 04/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Free trade agreements should include incentives for generic and biosimilar medicines, speakers said at a panel during the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week.
Council Of Europe Issues Resolution, Questions Current IP System For Pharmaceutical Products 01/10/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment On 29 September, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on how to safeguard the public interest against the interests of the pharmaceutical industry.
IP-Watch/Yale FOIA Case Decided: USTR Can Keep TPP Texts Secret, But Maybe Not Communications With Industry Advisors 30/09/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments As government negotiators dig into perhaps the final round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations this week in Atlanta, they may take comfort in knowing that nothing they are doing has to be shared with the public they represent until years after it is over. That’s because a federal district court in Manhattan decided this week, in a closely watched Freedom of Information Act case brought by Intellectual Property Watch, that draft texts of the trade deal can be kept secret. The court did, however, cast doubt on the government’s reasons for also keeping its communications with industry lobbyists from the public eye.
WIPO Working On Voluntary International Collective Management Standards 30/09/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Collective management organisations have often been the subject of criticism both from artists and end users. Some international federations have set up professional rules, but there is no international standard. The World Intellectual Property Organization is working to set up a voluntary international recognition of good practice for those organisations.
US Court Adds Confusion To #Trademarks 29/09/2015 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Once, hashtags (like #cute_cat) merely identified topics on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. No longer. A rapidly growing number of companies are using hashtags (like #HowDoYouKFC) as trademarks. There is one problem, however. A court in the US has recently ruled that hashtags can never receive trademark protection.