WIPO Traditional Knowledge Negotiators Dodging Roadblocks 10/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment How to handle work between meetings on creating a “legal instrument” caused a stalemate in informal negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee this evening. Unable to reach agreement on the composition and activities of the group, delegates have put the negotiations on hold and will reconvene informally tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Draft Copenhagen Text On IP Issues Now Available 10/12/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch and Catherine Saez Leave a Comment COPENHAGEN – A new draft climate change text on development and transfer of technology, obtained by Intellectual Property Watch and available to subscribers, was issued and under discussion at COP15 this afternoon.
Financement de la recherche-développement de médicaments contre les maladies oubliées : l’OMS s’apprête à publier ses recommandations 09/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Le groupe d’experts sur les financements innovants pour la recherche et le développement, réuni sous les auspices de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), a tenu sa troisième et dernière réunion du 30 novembre au 2 décembre. Le rapport de ce comité très secret devrait être communiqué aux Etats membres dans les semaines qui viennent, selon certaines sources.
IP Issues May Go To ‘Higher Political Level’ In Copenhagen Amid Difficulties 09/12/2009 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments COPENHAGEN – While intellectual property rights has been ‘the elephant in the room’ in the climate change negotiations so far, officials predict that it could become the subject of heated negotiations – even at a higher political level – during the ongoing high-level meeting in Copenhagen. On the third day of the meeting, IP issues had already appeared in a proposed negotiation text.
HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Policies: Emerging Incentives for Pro-Poor Changes to IP? 08/12/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Daniele Dionisio argues some perspectives on health and IP might change now that controversial practices at the WTO, World Bank and IMF are increasingly under pressure, and that new government policy choices and actors on the world chessboard are emerging.
WHO Neglected Disease R&D Finance Group Nears Recommendations 07/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments An expert working group on innovative financing for research and development, meeting under the auspices of the World Health Organization, held its third and final meeting last week, with a report from the secretive group expected to be released to member states in the coming weeks, according to sources.
Panel: Doha Round Hijacked Trade, But Geopolitics May Force Adjustments 03/12/2009 by Catherine Saez and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The future of the multilateral trading system looks bleak although global trade is in good shape overall, and developing countries are becoming heavier trading partners as a new geopolitical landscape is emerging, according to panellists in a concurrent event to this week’s World Trade Organization ministerial meeting.
WTO Ends Ministerial With No Agreements, Modest Treatment Of IP 02/12/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Trade Organization today wrapped up its first ministerial meeting in four years with no decisions or breakthroughs (as expected) but an informal agreement to consider by March whether members can complete the longstanding round of negotiations in 2010. Meanwhile, intellectual property issues played a tangential role in ministers’ discussions, but made several notable appearances.
WTO Ministers Say Complete Doha Round Or Suffer Irrelevance 30/11/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Trade Organization members today called for a completion of the Doha Development Round of trade liberalisation talks in 2010, tying its success to the relevance of the organisation as a whole, at the opening plenary session of this week’s WTO ministerial. Members also urged a stronger review mechanism, and the head of the World Intellectual Property Organization questioned the effectiveness of the multilateral system.
Multilateral Trading System Under Scrutiny At WTO Ministerial 30/11/2009 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization’s first full ministerial in four years is not a negotiating forum. Rather, it is bringing together some 150 trade ministers for some soul-searching on the state of the multilateral system and the work of the WTO. Measuring the event’s success (or failure, as in some past ministerials) will be difficult, but new directions may be infused into the 15-year-old organisation and a high-level political statement may be used to drive trade negotiations forward in the coming year.