WIPO Development Meeting Will Base Talks On Chair’s Text 20/02/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen This week’s meeting on a World Intellectual Property Organization Development Agenda started on a positive note, with member states agreeing to base negotiations on a text prepared for the meeting by the WIPO General Assembly chair, according to participants. This means that the content of the meeting, rather than process, […]
WIPO Development Agenda Meeting Gets Head-Start 16/02/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A United Nations meeting next week on proposals to improve developing countries’ benefit from intellectual property rights got a head start when participants from nearly two dozen countries met informally in India and agreed on some priorities, according to government sources. Meanwhile, member governments are preparing to discuss papers drafted […]
Report Assesses IP NGOs’ Impact On Developing Country Negotiators 17/01/2007 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are important players in intellectual property policy debates but should be aware of limitations and potential improvements to their influence with developing countries, according to a new report from the United Kingdom. NGOs working on intellectual property issues have had a considerable impact on the debate in multilateral institutions […]
Developed Country Strategy On WIPO Development Agenda, Governance Revealed 07/11/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen and William New The report from a September meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) developed country group reveals its behind-the-scenes strategy for handling a proposed development agenda at WIPO. The WIPO General Assembly decided in October to extend the discussions on a proposal for a development agenda, which […]
Way Sought To Boost Developing Country Production Of Essential Medicines 26/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Participants at a recent United Nations seminar on developing country production of essential medicines agreed that such a scenario should be possible but they disagreed on the means to get there. While there was disagreement about the practicalities of certain intellectual property-related regulations (such as when and who should use […]
Questions Raised Over Proposed WIPO Secretariat Deals With FAO, IDB 01/10/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New The World Intellectual Property Organization has negotiated cooperation agreements with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and is seeking approval of its member countries at this week’s annual General Assembly. But at least one country, Brazil, has questioned on whose authority WIPO negotiated the arrangements, […]
Agreement Reached On WIPO Development Agenda, Patents; No Broadcasting Yet 30/09/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New Government negotiators at the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly have reached tentative agreement on the future of a proposed agenda for development, and for discussing global patent harmonisation. But key hurdles remain for a proposal to convene a negotiation on a broadcasters’ rights treaty. “I think it is positive,” said an […]
UK Study: NGOs Helpful To Developing Countries But Could Improve 03/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Assistance on intellectual property rights from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is helpful to developing countries but more coordination and a “reality check” are needed, according to Geneva-based government officials. The remarks were made by developing country officials commenting on preliminary findings of a United Kingdom academic study on the impact of […]
WIPO Development Agenda Talks End With No Agreement For Now 30/06/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New and Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen After two week-long meetings and intensive consultations during the year, talks on bolstering the development perspective of the World Intellectual Property Organization ended today with no agreement, sending proposals back to the UN body’s annual meeting of member states in September. But a continuation of the debate […]
WIPO Development Agenda Negotiation Hits Rocks 29/06/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Negotiations for the infusion of a stronger development mandate into the work of the World Intellectual Property Organization may have hit a wall today after key proponent governments called for an end to talks to protest unfair treatment of their proposals. If over for now, the issue would be passed to the WIPO General Assembly, […]