WIPO: New 2-Year Mandate For Traditional Knowledge Committee; Design Law Treaty Stalls 12/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Late tonight on the last day of the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly, delegates agreed on a mandate and a work programme of the committee seeking ways to protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and folklore from misuse and misappropriation. Meanwhile, no agreement was found on the convening of a high-level negotiating meeting for a new treaty on industrial designs.
New Draft Text On Mandate For WIPO Committee On Genetic Resources, TK 10/10/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delegates rushing against time to find agreement on the next mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) are considering a third draft decision, issued this morning.
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.
Deadline Next Week For Swedish Sida Training On Genetic Resources And IP Regulation 25/08/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Applications are due by 4 September for an all-expenses-paid Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Advanced International Training Programme aimed at building capacity in intellectual property and genetic resources in support of innovation.
Did Monsanto Write Malawi’s Seed Policy? 25/08/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Tim Wise writes: In late July, a short article was published in a Malawian newspaper: “Press Release on Organization of Seed Fairs.” Issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development, in conjunction with the Seed Traders Association of Malawi, the short statement advised the public that “only quality certified seed suppliers registered with Government to produce and/or market seed should be allowed to display seed at such events.” The release was signed by Bright Kumwembe for the Agriculture Ministry. I received this news in the United States as I prepared a research trip to Malawi, and I was shocked. Malawi is in the final stages of a multi-year effort to reform its seed policy and laws, and the largest point of contention at this point is the failure of the draft policy to recognize and protect so-called “farmers’ rights” to save, exchange, and sell the seeds they grow on their farms.
Launch Of Book On TRIPS And Climate Change 12/07/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A new book being launched in Geneva next week reflects the growing recognition that the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) could play a more important role in the mitigation of climate change, according to the programme of the book launch.
G20: Security, Trade, Climate, Trump Diplomacy Overshadow Health, IT, Innovation 07/07/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On the eve of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, German politicians described positions on free trade and climate as the most difficult issues. Expectations from civil society groups in the G20 results are modest at best and the 6 July protest march “Welcome to Hell” was cancelled after clashes between the police and parts of the protestors.
EPO New Policy Brief On Climate Technologies 03/07/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office today released a new policy brief on climate change mitigation technologies, with a focus on renewable energy technologies, which are on the rise.
EPO Will Not Allow Patents On Plants, Animals From Biological Processes 29/06/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Patent Office today issued a clarification about the patenting of plant and animal products, putting it in line with a European Commission clarification that such products obtained through a biological breeding process should not be patentable.
Access And Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Initiative To Continue Cooperation With WIPO 28/06/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Access and Benefit Sharing Capacity Development Initiative (ABS Initiative) and the World Intellectual Property Organization will continue their cooperation and produce “further good events,” it became known during a recent event organised by WIPO. The initiative relates to genetic resources.