Desperate Final Stretch For The “Marco Civil Do Brasil” 14/11/2013 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The original 10 internet governance principles that formed the basis for Brazil’s Marco Civil legislation were presented proudly by the Brazilian delegation to the Internet Governance Forum in Vilnius. That was in 2010. In 2012, civil society organisations warned that an amended Marco Civil could erode freedom of the internet. It took yet another year and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to bring the original ideas, developed in a forward-looking broad public consultation process, back to the floor of the Brazilian Parliament – and there the fight was going on tonight (14 November).
Event Brings Business Perspective To Creating, Leveraging IP In Developing Countries 13/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An event being held in Durban, South Africa next week will bring the expertise of global and local businesses, governments, academics and others to the issues of harnessing foreign intellectual property rights as well as creating local IP rights.
WIPO Industrial Design Treaty In Hands Of December Assembly; GI Debate Returns 11/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments There appears to be consensus at the World Intellectual Property Organization on establishing a procedural treaty to facilitate the international registration of industrial designs. But a weeklong committee meeting last week could not solve the issue of how to include technical assistance in the treaty. The WIPO General Assembly in December will decide on whether to convene a high-level meeting next year to finalise the treaty. Meanwhile, the United States proposed resuscitating discussions on geographical indications (GIs) in the committee, which stirred resistance.
WHO Experts To Narrow Health R&D Projects For Developing Countries At December Meeting 06/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Years-old efforts by members of the World Health Organization to come up with viable ways to boost research and development of medical products for diseases primarily affecting poor populations are coming to head, with a key meeting in December. That meeting of experts will be an opportunity to narrow down proposals being developed by the six WHO regional offices.
Proposed WIPO Industrial Design Treaty Hung Up On Technical Assistance 04/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It was clear at today’s opening of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee on industrial designs that developing countries were standing firm on their request to include mandatory technical assistance and capacity building in a potential procedural treaty aimed at facilitating international registration of this form of intellectual property right.
Farmers’ Groups Warn ARIPO About Implementing UPOV 91 In Africa 30/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A collective civil society group has raised concerns about a draft Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) plant variety protection law, which is based on the 1991 version of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The draft law, which may come up for adoption in November, would criminalise farmers’ rights and undermine the seed systems in Africa, they said.
Farmers’ Rights At Heart Of Plant Breeding IP Debate; UPOV Ponders New Members, Communication Strategy 29/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The international organisation providing and promoting intellectual property protection for new plant varieties held the annual meeting of its governing body last week. New member requests were examined while civil society warned against a draft African legal framework on plant variety protection that they said could impact the dominant subsistence farming systems in some African states.
UPOV Holds Weeklong Meetings As Civil Society Publishes Restricted Documents 22/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments This week the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is holding the annual meeting of its governing body, and preparatory meetings leading up to it. A seminar also is being held on essentially derived varieties. Meanwhile, civil society is asking that all the meeting documents be held public while demonstrating that restricted documents can be obtained through national freedom of information rights.
Brazilian Patent Reform Report Launched 15/10/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Infojustice.org reports: Last week, the report Brazilian Patent Reform: Innovation Towards Competitiveness was launched at an event at the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
WTO: Tobacco Plain-Packaging Battle Flares Up; Sports And IP Issues Take The Field 14/10/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee last week agreed on a draft decision on disputes that are not in direct violation of WTO IP rules but where one country’s measures negatively affect another country’s expected benefits. Plain packaging for tobacco products was also discussed as Ireland is preparing to introduce such a measure meant to discourage tobacco use, and some countries presented their views on the importance of IP rights in sports.