Digital Rights, Health Concerns As TPP Talks Continue 11/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As closed-door talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement progress this week, concerns have been raised about the proposed intellectual property chapter. Industry, public health and digital liberties groups urged negotiators to consider the possible impact on investment, digital rights, access to affordable medicines, and R&D for life-saving medicines.
Swiss Perspectives On The Success Of Its National Innovation Model 11/03/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Swiss innovation is internationally recognised for its high quality, and the reasons may derive from its fiscal system, labour market, research and development (R&D) model and education policy, a senior Swiss official has said.
Report On Seed Giants’ Initiatives To Preserve Monopoly On Global Food 08/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A report released yesterday by the non-profit ETC Group claims that six companies are seeking to control current priorities and the future direction of agricultural research. According to the report, giant seed companies are launching initiatives to preserve their IP rights and deflate antitrust concerns.
European Patent Office Reports Record Patent Filings In 2012 06/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Patent Office today announced that 2012 saw a new record for patent filings in the office, and equating the rise to Europe’s “innovative powers”. But while 36.5 per cent of applications came from Europe, the fastest growth was in applications from Asia, particularly China, Korea and Japan. Korean firm Samsung took top honours for most filings, the first time for an Asian company, and a Chinese company, ZTE, broke into the top 10 for the first time.
Monsanto v. Bowman: Stocktaking After Supreme Court Hearings 05/03/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the case opposing a US farmer to agro-industry giant Monsanto on the issue of patent exhaustion in patented seeds. Lead lawyers in the case and others offered comments on the heels of the hearing, while the Supreme Court Justices are considering the arguments and are expected to reach a decision sometime this spring.
Patent Pool-ViiV Collaboration On Paediatric HIV Sparks Reactions, Hope 04/03/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Medicines Patent Pool has announced a ground-breaking collaboration with a private sector joint venture that it said will facilitate greater availability of critical medicines for children with HIV worldwide. The announcement caused a wave of positive reactions across the public health community, with many hoping for more in the future.
Global Fund Launches New Funding Model 01/03/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, based in Geneva, has announced a new funding model that aims to allow for more strategic investment.
Russia Establishes Specialised Court For Intellectual Property Rights 01/03/2013 by Daria Kim for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment As of 1 February 2013, a specialised court for intellectual property rights (the IPR Court) is instituted within the system of commercial (‘arbitrazh’) courts of the Russian Federation.
Global Health Giants, Trade Deals, And IP Play Central Role In 2013 Public Health Policy 28/02/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The role of intellectual property in a wide range of public health challenges – access to medicines, vaccine prices, procurement strategies, and research for diseases of the poor – is a focal point in 2013 cutting across national, regional, and international policymaking.
Coalition Asks US Congress For Action On “Patent Trolls” 28/02/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In an open letter to the US Congress House of Representatives Judiciary Committee today (27 February), a coalition of agencies, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators, urged Congress to take action against “patent trolls, non-practicing patent-holding entities.