Students, Activists, Swarm To Demand UCLA Drop Indian High Court Patent Claim 06/09/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Thousands of students have urged a major research university in the United States to drop a patent claim in India related to an important cancer medicine, with the aim of making affordable versions available.
WIPO Publishes Report On Its Workforce 04/09/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization has released statistics on its workforce showing that 118 countries are represented in WIPO staff, some 50 percent of which benefit from permanent contracts, while the organisation has become a strong magnet for job applicants, over 12,000 in 2017.
New Dutch Foundation To Address High Medicines Pricing Announces Plan To File Complaint With Competition Authority 27/08/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The newly established Dutch Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation has announced its first action to address unreasonably high medicines prices in the Netherlands. The Foundation will request the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets to look into the price hike for the medicine chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) by the company Leadiant Biosciences Ltd (formerly Sigma-Tau). CDCA is used for the treatment of children and adults with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX), a rare genetic metabolic disease that affects around 60 people in the Netherlands.
Can A Surge In Activism Defeat American Big Pharma? 22/08/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Vinayak Bhardwaj – Not a day passes in America without news of a drug company raising prices on prescription drugs. Americans pay two to six times more for prescription drugs than those living in other developed countries, who earn the same income.
Counter-Measures – How Startups Can Fight Pirates Without Burning Cash 03/08/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Patent litigation can drain capital during the crucial first few months of launching new technology, a particular problem in the capital-intensive hardware space. Companies need to find creative ways to go after patent thieves without stifling growth or ceding market share, writes Michael A. Nicolas.
Report – Patent Abuse A Leading Cause Of High Drug Prices In US 03/08/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Pharmaceutical companies have created an “untenable” situation by engaging in exploitative patenting practices to extend monopolies, increasing drug prices and delaying competition from more affordable generics, according to a new NGO report analysing drug prices.
US Considers Upping Stakes Again In Trade Dispute With China Over IP, Tech Transfer 01/08/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Trump administration today announced it is considering raising its proposed tariffs from 10 to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The move is another in an attempt to get China to change the way it treats US companies including by alleging forcing transfer of technology and intellectual property.
New EPO Chief Outlines Priorities With Global Focus; Staff Wary But Hopeful 30/07/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Antonio Campinos, whose term as president of the European Patent Office began on 1 July, has said he wants to focus on the effectiveness of the organisation, greater global cooperation and “staff engagement.”
Central Banks Consider Blockchain-Based Digital Currency At ITU Meeting 20/07/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – The UN International Telecommunication Union’s Digit Fiat Currency (ITU-DFC) Focus Group is meeting in New York this week to consider the potential promise and pitfalls of central bank-issued digital currency.
Global Innovation Divide: Can Investment In Innovation Bridge The Gap? 17/07/2018 by David Branigan and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Global Innovation Index 2018, launched on 10 July in New York, has lauded the rise of China as a model for how other low and middle-income economies can advance on innovation. Amid this optimism, however, the global innovation divide remains in step with the global income divide, raising questions for how to bridge this gap. The new index shows signs of progress.