Message To WIPO: Here’s The Assistance We African Inventors Really Need 16/11/2016 by Justus Wanzala for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — Patent protection is a challenge to many an inventor in developing countries. Inventors in most African countries, for instance, are compelled to surmount huge obstacles to protect their inventions. In order to remedy the situation, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum has launched an Inventor Assistance Programme (IAP). Now, the local inventor community in Kenya has a few words for WIPO on how to expand the programme to make it more effective on the ground. Trust is one of them.
New Alliance To Hold UN And Others Accountable For Antimicrobial Resistance Commitments 16/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new international alliance to support the United Nations Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance was launched this week. The Conscience of Antimicrobial Resistance Accountability (CARA) aims to bring together organisations committing to reporting on mutually agreed upon indicators in countries around the world, and to hold the UN and other stakeholders accountable to their commitments.
WTO ‘Paragraph 6’ System For Affordable Medicine: Time For Change? 14/11/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A range of practitioners and representatives in the manufacture of medicines, intergovernmental officials, academics and civil society representatives last week gave diverse views on the effectiveness of a waiver to international trade rules intended to ease shipments of affordable medicines to low-income countries.
Trade Secret Use Increases; Stringent Protection Seen Encouraging Innovation 14/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Trade secrets have gained the favour of a growing number of companies, according to speakers at a side event held in the margins of last week’s World Trade Organization intellectual property committee meeting. Organised by the European Union, Japan, and the United States, the side event explored the reasons why companies choose to protect their innovations through trade secrets.
WTO Members Discuss UN High-Level Report On Medicines Access That WHO Declined To Discuss 10/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee this week discussed the report of United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on access to medicines which offered recommendations regarding the use of intellectual property in international trade. Developing countries taking the floor accentuated the use of flexibilities under trade rules, and the World Health Organization gave an overview of how its activities follow the panel’s recommendations, and its future projects. Civil society meanwhile criticised the WHO’s decision to dismiss a request by some developing countries to include discussions on the UN report at the next Executive Board Meeting.
Lancet Report On Essential Medicines Takes Aim At Access, Affordability 08/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A much-anticipated report on progress in global access to essential medicines released today has found that change is needed to the system of paying for research and development, including moving beyond sole reliance on patents to cover R&D costs. It calls for a global R&D policy framework, a possible patent pool for essential medicines, addresses financing issues, and claims to have developed a new cost model. Meanwhile, comments ranged from two ministers from the Netherlands said the system is broken while a leading industry executive criticised it for questioning the patent system.
Indian Generic Pharma Warns Against Government Caving To US Pressure On Data Exclusivity 06/11/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Indian Drug Technical Advisory Board meeting on 7 November is expected to discuss a measure that could lead to opening the way to a 10-year data exclusivity period for originator pharmaceutical companies in India, according to the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. The alliance submitted a letter to the advisory board to warn against consequences on public health of data exclusivity if the Indian government “succumbs to” pressure by the United States.
Mark Whitaker Of Morrison & Foerster Named AIPLA President 01/11/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Mark L. Whitaker, a veteran intellectual property trial lawyer and partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group in Washington, DC, has been named president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
Ottiglio Leaves IFPMA For Consultancy In Geneva 01/11/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Mario Ottiglio is stepping down as director of public affairs, communications & global health policy at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Geneva. He will be staying in Geneva as the managing director of the new office of the High Lantern Group, a US consulting firm.
Power Struggle In Russia As Internet Pirates Vie For Upper Hand 31/10/2016 by Eugene Gerden for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Russian intellectual property industry is on the verge of a new scandal. Following the recent arrest of Sergey Fedotov, head of the Russian Authors’ Society (RAS), Russia’s leading public association for the protection of intellectual property rights, on the charge of multi-million ruble thefts, the Russian police has announced the initiation of criminal proceedings against Maxim Ryabyko, head of the Russian Association for the Protection of Copyright on the Internet (RAPCI).