World Health Summit Berlin: New Global Action Plan; Gates And Merkel To Open Global Challenges 15/10/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BERLIN — Ten years after establishing the Berlin World Health Summit, the M8 alliance of medical institutes around the globe sees some noticeable progress in political commitment to the health agenda. “Gifts” presented at the opening ceremony yesterday in the German capital include the announcement of German Health Minister Jens Spahn to establish a Hub for Global Health and step up its financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) to 115 million euros over the next four years. The three-day summit also will receive a global action plan to catch up with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on health and well-being for all.
“The People’s Prescription”: New Report Calls For Value Creation Instead Of Value Extraction In Pharmaceutical R&D 15/10/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report, “The People’s Prescription: Re-imagining health innovation to deliver public value,” calls for restructuring research and development innovation systems to create, rather than extract, value. It also calls for long-term “mission-oriented” public investment, and a public return on this investment.
US Music Modernization Act Becomes “The Law Of The Land”; A Boost For Songwriter Compensation 12/10/2018 by Emmanuel Legrand for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Music Modernization Act, legislation that will transform the music licensing framework in the United States, was signed into law by President Donald Trump during a ceremony at the White House on 11 October that included several artists such as Sam Moore from Sam & Dave, Kid Rock, Mike Love of the Beach Boys and Jeff Baxter of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, among others.
EPO Names Three New Vice-Presidents, From UK, Germany, Austria 11/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office today announced the appointment of three new vice-presidents, related to patent granting, legal and international affairs, and corporate services. The appointees come from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
IP Rights Increasingly Traded In New Digital Age, WTO Panel, Report Say 11/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The digital revolution has transformed the way trade is taking place. The share of goods like CDs, books and newspaper is dropping in terms of global trade volume, pushed down by digital goods. In that context, intellectual property rights are also increasingly traded, in particular IP licences, in what a World Trade Organization official defined as a major phenomenon. While the United States is the leader in the digital market, China took pole position in video games in 2017.
WIPO’s Coordination Committee Seats And The Election For Next Director General 10/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Developing country members are asking to have more representation in the World Intellectual Property Organization governing bodies, and the issue is taking on increased importance as one of the committees will play a key role in the election of the next WIPO director general in 2020.
The Global Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism: Where Will Be The Bretton Woods Of The 21st Century? 05/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Joseph Henry Vogel writes: Bretton Woods is the name of a place and also of a system. Bretton Woods-the-place boasts the Mount Washington Hotel and majestic views of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Bretton Woods-the-system is the set of financial rules drafted during an international conference held at the hotel from 1 to 22 July 1944 [1]. The system created monetary order and allowed postwar recovery. For economists, Bretton Woods signifies the system. Its success illustrates how economic thinking can penetrate the political sphere and make lasting change. John Maynard Keynes, the Darwin of economics, led the British delegation.
WIPO General Assemblies Close: External Offices, Composition Of Governing Bodies Pushed To 2019 03/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies closed yesterday after 10 days of negotiations. Committee reports and audit and oversight reports were noted to the satisfaction of member states. The Assembly however had no choice yesterday but to push some off for another year to its next meeting in 2019. The composition of two governing bodies of the organisation, a potential treaty on industrial designs, and the location of new WIPO external offices are expected to be the subject of informal consultations until the next WIPO General Assembly. The governing body composition has bearing on the 2020 election of director general.
Trade In 2030: WTO Public Forum Opens With Visions For The Future 02/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment What will trade look like in 2030? This is the topic of the 2018 World Trade Organization Public Forum opening today. During the discussion opening the forum, WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo said technological evolution cannot be stopped and should be shaped so it can yield the best results. Alibaba founder Jack Ma invited governments to build infrastructure to help ecommerce and stop trying to regulate it.
Interview With Miguel Ángel Margáin, Director General Of The Mexican Institute Of Industrial Property 01/10/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Miguel Ángel Margáin, Director General of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, took office in early 2013, and was in Geneva for the annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies. William New of Intellectual Property Watch sat down with him for an interview. He spoke about achievements of the office during this administration, major amendments to adhere to global treaties and changes in the NAFTA, the introduction of geographical indications, and the ascendance of IP rights in Latin America.