WIPO-WTO-WHO Joint Symposium On Medical Innovation In July 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Three Geneva-based international organisations are continuing their collaboration on issues of health and innovation policy as it cuts across intellectual property rights by planning a 5 July symposium on “changing business models” in medical innovation.
Myriad Case Decided: Natural Human Genes Not Patentable In US 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The United States Supreme Court came to a decision yesterday on the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., striking down Myriad’s patent on isolating human genes from the bloodstream.
Test Of Political Flexibility In Final Lap For WIPO Treaty For The Blind 14/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Starting next week, Marrakesh, Morocco, will be the site of a two-week high level conference expected to yield a treaty facilitating the international access to books for blind and visually impaired people. Stakes are high, not only for the beneficiaries, but also for the industry worried that the copyright system might be endangered by the new treaty, introducing limitations to copyright.
To What Extent Can Global IP Rules Be Responsive To Public Interest Demands? The Case Of The Treaty For The Visually Impaired 14/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment To what extent can global intellectual property rules address in an effective manner the needs of the most vulnerable members of society? This is the key question with which member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are faced as they prepare to meet next week for a diplomatic conference, in Marrakesh, that should result in the adoption of a treaty to facilitate access to copyrighted works by visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities.
UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution Promoting Medicines Access 13/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution urging governments to encourage technology development and transfer and to apply intellectual property rights measures in ways that avoid creating barriers to trade in “affordable, safe, efficacious and quality medicines.” The resolution includes references to IP flexibilities in international trade law and to “delinkage” of R&D costs with the price of health products.
WHO Updates Guidance For Pandemic Flu Risk Management 13/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Health Organization (WHO) has released an updated guidance document on pandemic influenza risk management, which includes the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework for the sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits that was discussed by member states during the 66th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.
WTO TRIPS Council: Discussion Of Innovation Shows Divergent Views; Tobacco Back On Agenda 13/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The impact of intellectual property rights on the transfer of ‘green’ technology was brought up to the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property this week with divided points of view. In addition, a discussion on cost-effective innovation was criticised by some developing countries as side-tracking the committee’s objectives, and the European Union’s planned revision of its tobacco products directive was disapproved by some producer countries.
Geneva Study Finds ‘Evergreening’ Increases Healthcare Costs 12/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A recent Geneva-based study found that so-called evergreening practices utilised by drug manufacturers are successful in protecting profits by maintaining company market share and offsetting generic competition and cost containment policies.
WTO Members Agree On Draft Extension Of TRIPS Transition For LDCs 07/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments World Trade Organization members today reached a draft decision on a request put forward by least-developed countries to extend the period during which they do not have to comply with international rules of intellectual property rights protection, according to sources. Under the terms of the hard-fought decision, LDCs can benefit from an extension of eight more years.
WIPO Study: Informal Economy Important To Developing Country Growth, But No IP 07/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments During a recent meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP), a study on innovation in the informal economy was presented by the organisation’s secretariat. The exercise was conducted in an effort to better understand how innovation occurs and how intellectual property is relevant in that context.