US-Peru Trade Deal The First Test Of Renegotiated IP Provisions 05/11/2007 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch The United States House of Representatives is poised to pass the US-Peru free trade agreement this week, in the first test of the new “bipartisan trade policy” that led to the renegotiation of trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, Peru and South Korea. The Peru pact includes new provisions […]
WIPO Committees Casting About For Future Work 05/11/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Intellectual Property Organization enforcement committee last week heard from a series of intellectual property rights enforcers and others before attempting unsuccessfully to agree on the future work and moving to consultations till February. Meanwhile, separate consultations are continuing for a mandate for the WIPO copyright committee whose meeting has been […]
Thailand: 20 More Drugs In Pipeline For Possible Compulsory Licences 02/11/2007 by Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch BANGKOK – Thailand has in its pipeline about 20 more items of various patented drugs that could be candidates for compulsory licences, allowing the government to exercise its right over the patent owners to cut prices and make the medicines more available to the public, a senior Thai […]
WTO Biodiversity Amendment Backed; EU Seeks ‘New Thinking’ On GIs 26/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New A proposal to amend the World Trade Organization rules on intellectual property rights to require the disclosure of the origin of genetic resources in patent applications gained significant new support Wednesday when 50 least-developed countries signed on. The additional support for the proposed amendment came at the 23-24 October meeting of the […]
TRIPS Council Extends Health Amendment; Targets Poor Nations’ Needs 23/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property rights on Tuesday gave a two-year extension for countries to ratify a public health agreement easing countries’ ability to import cheap medicines. It also addressed needs assessments for least-developed countries, which are to implement WTO rules on IP rights by 2013. The WTO Council […]
Officials Prepare For TRIPS Council As China Blocks US Dispute Panel 22/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property rights issues this week is expected to discuss biodiversity and traditional knowledge, enforcement, geographical indications, and public health, according to participants. While no significant breakthroughs are predicted, the issues to be discussed are potentially highly charged. There will be at least two new documents […]
Kenya Works To Identify IP Rights In Its Medical Research 19/10/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch NAIROBI – One of Kenya’s most prestigious research institutions, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), has begun an extensive intellectual property audit to try and identify any discoveries that should be protected. The audit comes as the government is finishing work on a new framework on traditional knowledge and […]
Development Agenda Tops Policy Issues For WIPO General Assembly 26/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New As delegates to the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies work through questions of organisational leadership and credibility this week, they may be looking forward to a return to agenda items related to policy. And according to a number of participants, the set of proposals for a WIPO Development Agenda may […]
Preocupan los acuerdos bilaterales entre la UE y países en desarrollo 24/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por David Cronin para Intellectual Property Watch BRUSELAS – Aumenta la preocupación tanto en Europa como en los países en desarrollo sobre si diversos acuerdos de libre comercio, cuya firma está programada para finales del presente año, contendrán normas demasiado estrictas en materia de propiedad intelectual. El organismo ejecutivo de la Unión Europea, la Comisión […]
Concern Rises Over EU Bilaterals With Developing Countries 20/09/2007 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch BRUSSELS – Concern is growing in both Europe and developing countries about whether a series of free trade agreements slated for signature later this year will contain overly stringent rules on intellectual property. The European Union’s executive, the European Commission, has proposed that the Economic Partnership Agreements it […]