Enzymes A Potential Planet-Saver, But Heavy Patenting Necessary, Industry Says 07/04/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A dominant global producer of enzymes is arguing that enzymes in biotechnology can make a significant contribution to global environment improvement, but this effort comes with heavy patenting by the company.
Compromise US Patent Reform Legislation Clears First Hurdle 02/04/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Sweeping patent reform legislation cleared a key United States Senate committee Thursday and is now headed for a vote on the Senate floor after compromises were reached on key sticking points in the bill.
European Patent Office: Patent Applications Slow As Rejections Rise 21/03/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In a trend appearing in other patent offices around the world, patent applications at the European Patent Office continued to rise in 2008, but at a slower rate toward the end of year. At the EPO, this was coupled with the lowest percentage of granted patents in its history.
Agricultural Technology Could Feed Rising Population, But Who Will Own Crops? 20/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and Catherine Saez 3 Comments The genetic revolution has come to food, as debates over how to deal with future pressures of population and climate change look to agricultural technology in hope of answers. But questions still remain over who owns the technology, who will do the research, and what forms of – and even whether – biotechnology is appropriate to human needs and the needs of smallholding farmers.
New Medical Technologies Bring New IP Challenges 17/03/2009 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment LYON, FRANCE – At the cutting edge of medical technology lie new hopes for patients, but also serious ethical concerns and potential intellectual property snags. Read More…
Sigue La Expansion De Los Alcances De La Propiedad Intelectual 17/03/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Santiago Roca escriba: La Unión Europea está solicitando mas extensiones en propiedad intelectual que los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica en la negociación del tratado de libre comercio.
New Thinking On Biotech Patents From Industry Groups 13/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment LYON, FRANCE – A new level of willingness to cooperate on major public health initiatives may indicate increased convergence in goals between large pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups, particularly when addressing neglected diseases, a panel at an international life sciences conference said Monday.
Lamy Restarts Informal WTO Process On Proposals On IP And Biodiversity, GI Extension 12/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy on Wednesday kicked off informal talks on two key intellectual property issues that have been stalled by disagreements on the forum and mandate for their discussion.
WTO Session Tackles Details Of Future Register Of GI Products 06/03/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A World Trade Organization group tasked with creating a register for highly protected names of wines and spirits associated with geographical locations buckled down Thursday to a technical discussion on what it would look like. The focus on these issues sidestepped some broader political questions that have delayed these talks, but fundamental disagreements also remain over the register’s parameters.
US Patent Reform Bills And Jobs: Critical Timing, Critical Differences 04/03/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States patent reform bills offered up Tuesday fall well short of what is needed to protect innovation and intellectual property rights, say myriad small tech companies, large-cap manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms and inventors. In fact, they say, it even threatens jobs at a time when the economy is in desperate need of them. But proponents argue that it is precisely the type of measure needed to promote jobs, reduce lawsuits and poor patent quality that put a drag on innovation and the economy.