Global AIDS Conference Sees Pledge Of Access, Call For Funding; IP Rights Discussed 28/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The global AIDS community meeting in Vienna last week ended with renewed determination to fight the epidemic but underlined an urgent need for increased funding to sustain scientific advances and universal access. Some warned against an intellectual property rights enforcement push threatening global access in particular through bilateral and regional trade agreements.
AIDS Conference Campaigns For International Focus, Funding and Research 19/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The 18th International AIDS conference opened its doors in Vienna on Sunday with a purpose of keeping the HIV issue high among international priorities in the context of a global economic crisis, and to promote universal access to treatment.
No Decision On WIPO Treaty For Blind Persons Misses ‘Golden Opportunity’ 26/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 12 Comments Member states at the World Intellectual Property Organization late Thursday night were unable to reach agreement on a draft chair’s conclusions text summarising a four-day WIPO copyright committee meeting, crashing the prospect of swift progress on improving international access to literary material for the visually impaired.
High Expectations This Week For Progress On Exceptions And Limitations At WIPO 22/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Limitations and exceptions are once again a major topic at the UN intellectual property organisation’s meeting on copyrights and related rights. Delegations this week are discussing several draft proposals to improve access, in particular for visually impaired people, each with their own set of recommendation. With a fourth and new proposal from the African countries on the table, delegates are meeting to try to find common ground, raising the expectations of civil society.
Health Waiver, IP Enforcement Discussed At Lively WTO TRIPS Council Meeting 10/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments After two days of lively discussion, members of a World Trade Organization committee this week agreed to devote a day in October to an in-depth discussion on a waiver to WTO intellectual property rules aimed at boosting access to medicines for poor countries. In addition, some member countries presented concerns about the possible effect of a global enforcement push by developed countries and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation outside WTO, while ACTA proponent countries sought to allay fears.
Google May Face New Scrutiny For Privacy Violations In Switzerland 04/06/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Legally speaking, there is “little doubt” that Google’s collection of WiFi data by its roving Street View vehicles violates the Swiss Data Protection Act, and the company is likely to come under new scrutiny in Switzerland possibly even resulting in “severe financial consequences,” a respected Swiss law firm has said.
Drug Access Waiver Debate Looms For June TRIPS Council Meeting 31/05/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Following weeks of consultations, World Trade Organization members are set next week to discuss a proposal to review a little-used amendment of WTO intellectual property rules aimed at boosting availability of affordable medicines in developing countries.
WIPO Proposals Would Open Cross-Border Access To Materials For Print Disabled 28/05/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Negotiators trying to find a solution for the world’s print disabled, who have said copyright law is limiting their access to an already meagre supply of reading material in usable formats, began discussing a possible UN recommendation this week. But the print disabled and their strongest supporters have said such a recommendation – which would not be legally binding – would fall short of meeting their needs.
Conference Debates Strategic Patenting, Innovation & Public Health 21/05/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment MUNICH – Whether strengthening patent protection and extending data exclusivity is the way to more innovation in the pharmaceutical and diagnostic sector was the subject of a recent conference here.
Advocates Back WHO Resolution On Chagas With Access To Diagnosis, Treatment 18/05/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Two groups this week are urging the World Health Assembly to address access to diagnosis, treatment and new drugs, for a tropical disease that is the leading parasitic killer in the Americas. At a side event on the first day of the assembly, civil society actors also expressed concern about the shrinking input of civil society in the annual WHO members’ meeting.