WIPO Lisbon System: Fee Schedule, Common Regulations, Contributions To Quell Deficit 10/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a quest to address the projected deficit of a World Intellectual Property Organization treaty protecting geographical indications, treaty members have been gathering funds to try to eliminate the deficit. Separately last week, the treaty union annual assembly approved a fee schedule and regulations applying both to the treaty and its 2015 Act.
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.
Section 301: US Investigates Allegations Of Forced Technology Transfers To China 08/10/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments On 18 August 2017, the Trump administration invoked Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to launch an investigation into alleged Chinese violations of intellectual property rights (IPR). In response, China stated that the United States ‘disregards the rules of the WTO’ and that it will ‘take all proper measures to safeguard its legitimate rights’. Alongside investigations into steel and aluminium imports, the new Section 301 case holds the potential to escalate US–China trade tensions, write Zhiyao (Lucy) Lu and Gary Clyde Hufbauer.
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.
WHO Official On Antimicrobial Resistance: Poor Quality Medicines Entering At “Last Mile” To Patient 05/10/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NEW YORK — At a recent event on the margin of the United Nations General Assembly, a senior World Health Organization official gave an update on global efforts against substandard and falsified medicines in the context of the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). And a key issue is that often after arriving safely in the capitals, something happens just before quality-assured medicines reach the patient, contributing to AMR.
E-Commerce Regulation Needs Harmonisation, Labour Rules Should Be Part Of Trade Laws, Panellists Say 04/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As electronic commerce is on the rise, attempts to regulate it are fragmented and in need of harmonisation, according to a panel at the recent World Trade Organization Public Forum. Intellectual property could be a harmonisation tool and is a market maker, one of the panellists said. Separately, a session looked at the relationship that they said should exist between trade and labour rights, and said the way goods are produced should be taken into account in WTO rules.
CopyCamp Conference Discusses Fallacies Of EU Copyright Reform Amid Ideas For Copy Change 02/10/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Bugs in the European Union copyright reform were discussed during the 6th edition of the annual Warsaw CopyCamp held last week. Liability of platforms and special intellectual property rights on snippets were the poster child for bad legislation. But the activists, academics and internet companies also expressed concerns over a general backlash on internet openness and internet freedom.
WIPO General Assembly Opens; Delegates In Starting Block To Discuss Budget, Normative Work 02/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly opened today for 10 days during which delegates have to agree on budget, and on several decisions which might lead to more normative activities on the part of the organisation, although impatience is not equally shared depending on subjects. Separately, the United States submitted a new proposal on the budget, and the European Union tabled a proposal on a new mandate for the WIPO genetic resources and traditional knowledge committee.
ARIPO, Japan Government To Train 1,000 People In IP Systems In Africa 29/09/2017 by Maina Waruru for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The government of Japan, in partnership with the African Region Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), has begun implementation of a project meant to train 1,000 people across Africa in intellectual property systems. The World Intellectual Property Organization also plays a role.