Public Interest Groups Ask US Court To Invalidate Stem Cell Patent 03/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A human embryonic stem cell patent held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) should be invalidated, according to a legal filing made on 2 July by two public interest groups.
US Gives Boost To Materials Genome Initiative 24/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Obama administration and academic and industry partners today announced their commitment to support the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), a public-private endeavor whose aim is to reduce the time required to develop novel materials that can “fuel advanced manufacturing and bolster the 21st century American economy.”
Harvard Professor A Flag Bearer For Agricultural Innovation, Biotechnologies In Africa 21/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A Harvard University professor known for advancing global development issues hails the merits of agricultural innovation, including biotechnologies, as the unique solution to food security.
Asia-Pacific Region Vies For Biotechnology Industry Opportunities 20/06/2013 by Daria Kim for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong – A recent conference here looked at the evolving biotechnology landscape in the Asia-Pacific region as well as prospects for networking and raising capital for early stage life science innovation.
US Supreme Court Restricts Gene Patents … A Little 17/06/2013 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Last Thursday, the United States Supreme Court overturned more than 30 years of precedents and ruled that isolated genes cannot be patented. They are products of nature and thus not patent-eligible subject matter, the court unanimously held in Assoc. for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. This ruling puts the US at odds with most other nations, which allow genes to be patented. But because other major nations grant narrower gene patents, the net effect of Myriad will be to shift the US position on gene patents closer to that of other nations.
Myriad Case Decided: Natural Human Genes Not Patentable In US 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United States Supreme Court came to a decision yesterday on the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., striking down Myriad’s patent on isolating human genes from the bloodstream.
Civil Society Observer At UPOV Gets A Public Face 29/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Association for Plant Breeding for the Benefit of Society (APBREBES) announced that its website is now online and its first newsletter has been issued.
EPO Still Granting Patents On Conventional Vegetables; ‘Just Following Rules’ 24/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The European Patent Office is continuing to grant patents on conventional plants despite demands from the European Parliament and the German Parliament that the patent office refrain from granting such patents, the coalition of non-governmental organisations called “No patents on seeds” said in a release.
WIPO Programmes Seek To Bridge IP And Climate Change, Global Health 17/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is involved in activities aimed at facilitating technology transfer for green technologies, and research and development for neglected diseases, malaria and tuberculosis. At the request of member states, WIPO’s Global Challenges Division gave a briefing this week on those activities.
US Supreme Court Rules In Favour Of Monsanto In Patent Exhaustion Case 13/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The United States Supreme Court found today that a farmer who buys patented seeds may not reproduce them through planting and harvesting without the right holder’s permission. The case, known as Bowman v. Monsanto, revolved around patent exhaustion. The Supreme Court was to decide whether patent exhaustion applied to patented seeds after their authorised sale.