New Process, Mandatory Disclosure Stir Reactions In WIPO Committee On Genetic Resources 22/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A proposed revision of articles that could become a World Intellectual Property Organization instrument protecting against the misappropriation of genetic resources met with strong resistance from some developing countries, asking that the committee revert to the previous version of the text. Their concern is what they see as new issues and concepts introduced this week, mainly by the United States. The committee chair decided to start a new process.
Tentative New Wording For Draft WIPO Instrument Protecting Genetic Resources 21/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization this week started discussing core articles of what could potentially become a treaty preventing the misappropriation and the granting of intellectual property rights on genetic resources. Facilitators named by the chair of the WIPO committee addressing this issue produced a new tentative draft version of the objectives of such treaty.
WIPO Committee On The Protection Of Genetic Resources Meets This Week 16/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Intellectual Property Organization delegates will meet in the coming week to try to advance work on the protection of genetic resources against misappropriation. Through its renewed mandate, the WIPO committee is expected to focus on accommodating diverse points of view and try to reach a common understanding on core issues, including what and whom should benefit from protection.
Cambodia First To Join Geneva Act On Geographical Indications. But Where Are The Europeans? 16/03/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Cambodia has become the first country to join a 2015 agreement at the World Intellectual Property Organization aimed at strengthening protection of geographical indications (GIs). The Asian nation has several GIs it is seeking to protect, such as the Kampot pepper. But it might seem surprising that almost three years later, the group of European countries that fought so hard to conclude the treaty back in 2015 still have not acceded to it.
New IP-Sharing Framework To Accelerate R&D 12/03/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Pharmaceutical R&D constantly leads to the generation of new intellectual property (IP), from clinical trial data to libraries of promising compounds. Not all IP assets generated by a company are used in their future R&D. When this happens, companies can choose instead to share them with other third-party researchers, under licensing agreements. The Access to Medicine Foundation has worked with BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) to develop a framework for identifying which IP assets are most difficult for companies to share, yet most likely to speed up R&D of the medicines and vaccines needed by people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), write Clarke B. Cole and Katie Graef.
US Generic-Named Food Industries Cry For US Government Help Against ‘Relentlessly Aggressive’ EU 09/03/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Something that was unimaginable just a few years ago: What if Americans could not buy ordinary bologna, feta or parmesan cheese? Or worse, make them and export them under those names? The industry group in the United States representing a range of products like those today called on the US government to help them defend their products and their jobs against what they called “purposeful,” “relentless” and “aggressive” efforts by Europe to promote adoption of geographical indications (products named for places and with particular characteristics) to the detriment of the US common-named goods.
Early Certainty Initiative Of The European Patent Office – Flexibility For Biotech Needed 06/03/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In 2016, the European Patent Office (EPO) introduced a streamlined opposition procedure that should simplify opposition proceedings and deliver decisions faster, while giving parties more time to react to summons and prepare for oral proceedings. This new initiative, called early certainty, aimed to cut down the overall duration of granting new patents and to tackle the backlog in patent granting within the EPO, writes Michael Kahnert.
A Look At The Role Of Governments, Universities, Science In Health Innovation & Access 05/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property rights, particularly patents, are considered by some as being a barrier in access to medicines despite being a stimulus for innovation. At a recent symposium co-organised by the World Health Organization, World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization, speakers also talked about the role of science, governments, and universities in health innovation and access, and how to address challenges such as secondary patents.
Interview With Peter Vanderheyden, CEO Of Article One Partners 15/02/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Article One Partners (AOP), the world leader in crowdsourced intellectual property research, is now into their 10th year. Intellectual Property Watch recently arranged an interview with Article One Partners CEO Peter Vanderheyden to get an update on how the company has evolved in response to the ever-changing IP landscape, and in light of their commitment to IP quality.
WIPO Traditional Knowledge Division Provides Capacity Building, Publications 01/02/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge through the intellectual property system has been discussed for many years at the World Intellectual Property Organization. While delegates are working on potential international instruments to provide such protection, the WIPO Traditional Knowledge Division is involved in technical assistance and capacity building, providing information and issuing publications.