European Patents Rising; EPO President Denies Retirement Package 03/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BRUSSELS — Patents applications are on the rise in Europe the European Patent Office President Benoît Battistelli said today, with half of the applications coming from European inventors. The United States led followed by Germany, and Japan, and China showing a strong growth. The EPO president also announced the signature of an agreement with one trade union against a background of social unrest in the organisation.
UNITAID Report On Delinking R&D Costs From Medicines Prices 28/02/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Delinkage of research and development costs from medicines prices could “vastly expand” access to medicines by drastically dropping costs of the knowledge component of health products, innovative medicines R&D facility UNITAID says in a new report.
UAEM’s Re:Route – New Mapping Tool For Alternative Health R&D Models 25/02/2016 by Priti Patnaik for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Re:Route, a mapping tool that lays out the research and development (R&D) landscape of innovation and financing for medicines, has been launched by the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). It is a one-stop place for the alternative biomedical research and development landscape.
US Congressional Hearing On WIPO Accountability This Week 22/02/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments Several subcommittees of the United States Congress have scheduled a joint hearing this week on accountability and possible mistreatment of staff and whistleblowers at the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. The witness list for the hearing includes several high-level critics of the current WIPO director general who used to work for him. Meanwhile, observers are questioning what has happened to the report from an official UN investigation of WIPO.
Changes Among IP Experts In Private Sector, Law Offices And More 12/02/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Movements at the World Economic Forum, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, along with changes in the academic and private sectors worlds marked the beginning of 2016. The early part of the new year has also brought some changes in the intellectual property divisions of law firms.
Music Copyright 101: A Brief Rundown Of Legal Status In The United States 10/02/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “The world of music rights is divided into two major segments: compositions and sound recordings,” said Kenneth Steinthal, partner, King & Spalding, San Francisco, who opened a panel at Yale Law School last week with a baseline understanding of music copyright. Steinthal gave a textbook rundown of the complicated status of music copyright that puts […]
Kenyan Musicians Escalate Fight For Royalties 10/02/2016 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — The battle for music royalties in Kenya has spurred musicians and artists to demand transparency and accountability in the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), the body that collects and distributes the fees.
The Zika Virus Challenge: Mapping A Policy Path To Vaccine Development 08/02/2016 by Priti Patnaik for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The lack of preparedness to counter the effects of Zika virus follows a familiar script – a virus known since 1947, but one that has no currently available vaccine or treatments, like many neglected tropical diseases. This case could be illustrative of the wider struggle to finance investments into neglected diseases, but may tell a different story given its rarity of occurrence. It also may demonstrate how the World Health Organization is re-emerging as the global leader on response to outbreaks.
Last Chance Meeting To Agree On How WHO Engages With Non-Government Actors In April 02/02/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Health Organization members last week agreed to meet for a final session in April to discuss the framework regulating the engagement of the organisation with “non-state actors,” such as non-governmental and philanthropy organisations, and the private sector.
Special Feature: UN High Level Panel On Access To Medicines – First Reactions, Process Explained 01/02/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 8 Comments A high level panel of experts charged by United Nations secretary general to explore solutions to increase innovation and access to medicines in developing countries gave a briefing today to explain the process of the initiative. Intellectual property is often seen as both a barrier to the diffusion of health technologies and an innovation enabler.