UN Panel Report On Access To Medicines Seen As Holding Potential For Change 29/09/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – Speakers at a side event to the United Nations General Assembly last week commended a new report on access to medicines prepared by a high-level panel hand-chosen by the UN secretary general as containing fresh ideas and the potential to bring change to a longstanding problem.
Panel On The Right To Scientific Progress And Freedom For Scientific Research 23/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Scientists, national and United Nations representatives, academia and civil society this week explored and elaborated on the right to enjoy scientific progress and the freedom which is indispensable for scientific research. The right was placed in the context of today’s global challenges and scientists presented the latest examples of their research, in which human rights related to freedom of scientific research could be applied. The panel set out promote systematic dialogue to foster an understanding of the right and of what is being advanced.
Shared Experiences Of Indigenous Peoples In The WIPO Negotiating Process 22/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Members of indigenous communities this week shared their experiences in negotiating for their rights at the World Intellectual Property Organization and gave their advice on negotiations for potential treaties on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore.
Mass Protests Against TTIP, CETA In Germany 17/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In Berlin, Hamburg and five other cities in Germany, some 320,000 citizens today protested against the adoption of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
MSF Report Calls On Governments To Repair, Remodel Biomedical R&D 15/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Governments are urged to do more to promote the development of desperately-needed new medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics at affordable prices and address the failures of research and development (R&D) in a new report by Médecins Sans Frontières.
UN High-Level Panel On Access To Medicines Issues “Landmark” Report 14/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 10 Comments The long-awaited report by the United Nations High Level Panel on Access to Medicines was released today, making many recommendations. The panel calls for countries to embrace the policy space available in the World Trade Organization intellectual property rules, and invest more in health. It also calls for negotiation of a binding international treaty on research and development, delinking prices from R&D costs, greater transparency in drug pricing, public health impact assessments in free trade agreements, and encouragement to better use international legal tools available to countries to ensure affordable medical products. And it lays out the path ahead, calling for several new bodies to be created to take recommendations forward. [Note: story is being continuously updated during the day, now adding industry response]
Judge’s Opinion That EU Is Competent To Ratify Marrakesh Treaty Might Break Standstill 14/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The European Union has exclusive competence to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty on copyright exceptions for visually impaired people, the advocate general of the Court of Justice of the EU has found. This conclusion, which was well-received by representatives of the visually impaired, could speed up the ratification of the treaty by the EU.
Two US Congressional Leaders Criticize WTO For Stance On Trade Remedy, Food Safety Measures 08/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment From a press release issued today: “House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) today sent a letter to World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, criticizing the WTO Secretariat’s stance on measures it views as protectionist, and urging the office to better support the rules-based global trading system.”
Rebuttal Letter – WIPO Human Resources Report A “Whitewash” 07/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Ed Flaherty writes: Please be advised that I represent the duly elected members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Staff Council. On their behalf, I must respond to the inaccuracies contained in the article entitled: “WIPO Human Resources: All Is Harmony, Secretariat Says” published on the IP-Watch website on 29 August 2016. The HRMD report from which this article is lifted presents a whitewashed and totally unrealistic picture of the current situation at WIPO.
UNITAID Issues Call For Solutions To Overcome IP Barriers 06/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments UNITAID, the drug financing mechanism, has put out an appeal calling for ideas on solutions to overcome intellectual property barriers that may be preventing progress in public health. The deadline for submissions is coming near.