WIPO General Assembly Wrap: Many Decisions Made, But External Offices, Design Treaty Left Hanging 13/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment After an intense 10 days of negotiations, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates this week managed to close all items of the organisation’s annual General Assemblies, with major decisions taken, such as the approval of the 2018/2019 budget, and a new mandate and work programme for the committee on the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. However the inability to decide at the ambassador level which countries would host new WIPO field offices, and on the convening of a high-level negotiation to conclude a treaty on industrial designs, led to some teeth grinding.
New Members But No Structural Change In WIPO Program And Budget Committee – For Now 11/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Despite an effort by the Asia and Pacific Group countries to increase their representation, the geographical distribution of membership of the powerful World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee remained the same at the completion of discussions at the annual WIPO General Assembly tonight. But WIPO members did agree to begin consideration of the composition of the committee.
Latest Draft From WIPO Informal Negotiations On TK, Genetic Resources 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new draft emerged today, the last day of the negotiations, on renewal of the mandate of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee on protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
300 NGOs Demand No New E-Commerce Agenda At WTO Ministerial 11/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Some 300 global nongovernmental organisations have signed a letter voicing concerns about the agenda of the upcoming World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in December. In particular, they target the alleged push by some countries for a new agenda on digital trade, which they describe as “wrong.”
WIPO’s Program And Budget Stand-Off Highlights That Member States Must Act On WIPO’s Governance System 09/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the WIPO Annual Assemblies draw to a close this week, governments face a dramatic stand-off over the organisation’s biennial Program and Budget. Unless a series of its demands regarding the organisation’s financing and treaty-making processes are met, the United States is refusing to approve the WIPO budget – a decision Member States normally take by consensus. While sparring among governments over the budget and content of a UN organisation’s programs is not unusual, the debate at WIPO this year highlight challenges at the heart of its governance system, writes Carolyn Deere.
WIPO Assembly Snapshot: Decisions Adopted; Budget, Traditional Knowledge, Designs Still On Table 09/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With three days remaining at the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly, delegates are still seeking agreement on the 2018/2019 budget, the mandate of the committee on the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and an update to the international treaty on design law. A number of decisions have however been approved, as WIPO committees reported on their activities.
Correa: Academics Disagree With Assumptions About IP, Innovation And Development 09/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment General assumptions saying that intellectual property protection leads to development through the promotion of innovation are not supported by academic research, a well-known professor said last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Only countries at a certain level of development can truly benefit from IP protection, he said.
Asia Pacific Countries Challenge Composition Of Key WIPO Committees 06/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee is arguably the most powerful committee of the United Nations agency, and is open to a limited number of countries. This year, the countries sitting on the committee have to be renewed, and the Asia and Pacific Group is challenging the way countries are chosen, and their numbers because of under-representation of some regions.
New US/Japan Proposal On Mandate For WIPO Traditional Knowledge Committee 05/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States and Japan have submitted a joint proposal for the next mandate of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, whose mandate must be decided this week. The new proposal comes on top of proposals from the African Group and the European Union. If there is a large consensus saying the committee should continue its work, the objectives of the committee and the way to achieve them differ widely.
Quality Of Medicines A Key Focus Of Antimicrobial Resistance Fight 05/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK — Assuring the quality of medicines all the way to the consumer is a key component of the global antimicrobial resistance action plan now beginning to be implemented around the world, a panel of experts said during the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York.