Intellectual Property Law Under The Prism Of The Right To Culture 24/07/2015 by Jos̩phine De Ruyck for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment STRASBOURG, FRANCE РAlthough the right to science and culture has been enshrined in several international treaties, their exact implications in the intellectual property field have remained vague.
France Spearheads Push For Plain Packaging Of Tobacco Products 23/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The country that made smoking cool is now taking steps to make it uncool. France this week organised what it defined as “the first international ministerial meeting” on plain packaging for tobacco products, gathering countries that support the public health measure aimed at discouraging tobacco use.
EU Commissioner Signals Support For LDC Request To Waive IP Rights Enforcement On Pharma 21/07/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said in a recent speech that providing she has the backing of the College of Commissioners, the Council and the European Parliament, she would like to answer positively to the request by least developed countries (LDCs) to extend a particular exemption to enforce intellectual property rights on medical products as long as they remain an LDC.
Aid Agencies Hail Agreement On Access To Early Infant HIV Diagnostic Technologies 21/07/2015 by Rishi Dhir for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An agreement entered into by a range of international organisations and others announced this week is expected to lower the price of early infant HIV diagnostic technologies by 35 percent, according to the parties.
WHO Negotiations To Continue On Non-State Actors 21/07/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Third World Network reports: New Delhi, 20 July (K M Gopakumar) – Member States of the World Health Organization have decided to continue the negotiations on a Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) as several key issues remain unresolved.
Learning From Ebola 14/07/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In 1976, Yambuku village school headmaster Mabalo Lokela felt sick when he returned from a trip to northern Zaire near the Central African Republic border. He had a high fever, diarrhea, and bleeding. Because he was initially believed to have malaria, Lokela was given quinine, but his symptoms got worse and he soon died. Shortly afterwards, those who had been in contact with Lokela also died. … Almost four decades later, there is still no cure for Ebola, despite the fact that drug development on average takes about a third of this time frame, write William Fisher and Quentin Palfrey.
New ARIPO Plant Protocol: Conflict Of Farmers’ And Breeders’ Rights? 10/07/2015 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments KAMPALA, UGANDA — Member states of African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) have adopted a protocol for the protection of new varieties of plants. The measure is aimed at modernising African agricultural practices, but some say it comes at the expense of age-old traditional farming practices, such as saving and re-using seed.
EU Parliament Adopts Reda Report On Copyright Reform 09/07/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Parliament during its last plenary meeting before the summer break today adopted a non-legislative report on copyright reform prepared by Pirate Party Member Julia Reda. The report calls for an adaptation of the EU 2001 Copyright Directive to the digital market.
Paper: Commons Approach To European Knowledge Policy Could Yield Better Outcomes 09/07/2015 by Ani Mamikon for Intellectual Property Watch and Rishi Dhir for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new paper released earlier this month finds that the commons perspective, which embraces knowledge as a shared resource and its management a joint responsibility, could contribute to EU policy discussions and yield better policy outcomes in areas such as health, environment, science and culture, and the internet.
US Federal Judge Orders Cancellation Of Redskins’ Football Team Trademark Registrations 09/07/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Washington Post reports: The Washington Redskins – an American football team – lost their biggest legal and public relations battle yet in the war over their name after a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of the NFL team’s federal trademark registrations, opposed for decades by Native American activists who call the moniker disparaging.