Kenya Fights To Retain IP Flexibilities For Medicines Imports 09/08/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A second attempt in Kenya to restrict intellectual property flexibilities meant to safeguard access to medicines has most likely been defeated, largely due to opposition from an interagency task force and civil society groups, local sources said. But although key politicians have indicated that proposed changes to Kenya’s intellectual property […]
Yale Conference Invigorates Access To Knowledge Movement 04/05/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (US)–A late April conference at prestigious Yale University Law School gave new focus and momentum to a growing movement aimed at protecting the public’s right to access knowledge. The effort seeks to slow years of momentum in the direction of ever-stronger and wider-reaching intellectual property rights seen as moving ever-greater amounts of […]
WIPO Copyright Advice Deemed Misleading To Developing Countries 20/02/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen and William New Non-governmental organisations attending this week’s meeting on a stronger development agenda for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are working to remind participants of the key elements of the original proposals. In so doing, one group found shrinking knowledge in the public domain and shortcomings in WIPO’s […]
UN Committee Adopts Position On IP And Human Rights 21/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A half-decade after it began, a United Nations committee on 21 November adopted a document intended to clarify nations’ responsibilities on intellectual property and human rights. The text, while not legally binding, could bolster legal disputes in other international and national bodies, committee members said afterward. The still-confidential adopted text, referred to as a General […]
UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Adoption of General Comment on the “moral and material interests of the rights of authors” deferred 01/12/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After many hours of contentious discussion, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) chose last week to defer adoption of a General Comment on the “right of everyone to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.” […]
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Civil Society Groups fear a rushed General Comment on “Intellectual Property” 04/11/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The plans of a leading UN human rights body to finalize a General Comment on “Intellectual Property and Human Rights” in November has provoked calls from human rights and public interest organisations for greater opportunities for public input. At stake is the content of a draft General Comment by the UN Committee on Economic, Social […]