ACTA Negotiators Still Aiming For Agreement By Year’s End 25/09/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Countries negotiating a semi-secret trade agreement against piracy and counterfeiting this week in Tokyo are still aiming to reach agreement by the end of this year, a negotiator told Intellectual Property Watch today. The negotiator also did not reject outright the notion that patents might still be included in the draft treaty text, instead saying it is still a matter for discussion.
Coherence Needed To Avoid Multilateral Legal Swamp, WTO Told 22/09/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The multilateral system with its different agencies dealing with specific areas is sometimes seen as incoherent in global negotiations and norm-setting as there are overlaps in competency, definition and scope, according to speakers at a side event to the recent World Trade Organization Public Forum.
Economists Report Empirical Evidence Of TRIPS Impact On Developing Countries 16/09/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Trade Organization Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement has sparked decades of international debate over whether exporting stronger intellectual property norms to developing countries is beneficial or harmful.
The Relationship Between IP, Technology Transfer, and Development 30/08/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An analysis of practices and policies involving intellectual property, technology transfer and development shows the difficulties of achieving a positive correlation between those areas, writes Cheikh Kane.
Proposed WIPO Strategic Plan Shows Positioning For Uncertain Future 16/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The importance of knowledge is increasing at a rate faster than patent offices can keep up with the demands of new inventors, reads the introduction to a proposed six-year strategic plan of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Creators and manufacturers of knowledge products are rapidly diversifying geographically, new innovation models are arising, and new demands are being placed on protected works for use in technology transfer or for shared global needs such as environmental sustainability or public health.
Coverage Of Anti-Counterfeit Policy Debate Varies Widely Across Global Media 02/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Are counterfeit products first and foremost a threat to human health and safety or is provoking anxiety just a clever way for wealthy nations to create sympathy for increased protection of their intellectual property rights? In Geneva the debate is raging, but a look at a sample of coverage of this issue in the world’s news media shows it can vary greatly.
Reminder: Urgent Call To Support Intellectual Property Watch 28/07/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Dear Readers, we at Intellectual Property Watch are writing to politely remind you that the financial support of every one of you is needed this year, especially those of you who have long benefited from our open-access work and have never been asked to contribute. We set a target of end of July, just a few days away. We would like to remind you of the reliable reporting and tough-minded analysis that Intellectual Property Watch brings to a complex area that will certainly continue to be at the centre of global policy and legal debates for years to come, whether your topic is IP law, public health, climate change, food security, trade, internet policy and knowledge access, or innovation.
International Experts See Backswing In Pendulum Of Biological Patenting 21/07/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments MUNICH – Some experts in Europe are coming to agreement that a tipping point might have been reached with regard to biological patents. At a conference organised this week by the “no patents on seeds” initiative on the eve of a public hearing of the European Patent Office on cases involving the patenting of broccoli and tomatoes, non-governmental representatives and farmers associations from Europe and elsewhere said there were detectable changes in American jurisprudence and European governments seem to be rethinking the biopatent issue.
OECD Sees New Angle On Innovation For Growth, Social Challenges 16/07/2010 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Innovation is a key factor in economic growth but is not only about research as it is a system with many different interacting parts including R&D as one of those elements, a senior developed nations group representative said this week. Governments need to promote policies that integrate the cross-cutting nature of innovation and favour evidence based decision making, he said.
UN Biodiversity Talks Resume, Last Chance For Agreement Before October Deadline 09/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The last chance to complete discussions and reach an agreement on a draft protocol text on access and benefit-sharing is given to member parties of the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) next week. The protocol is intended to provide a new international tool for governments against piracy of genetic resources.