MPAA, US Blind Federation Urge Narrow Focus In WIPO Treaty For Blind 30/05/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The US film industry and advocates for the blind joined forces today to urge World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators to keep treaty talks focussed on the core issue of making more books available to the blind and visually impaired. The joint statement appeared to be aimed at reining in stakeholders on both sides of the international debate.
WIPO Delegates Trying To Find Consensus On Technical Assistance And Designs 30/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Members of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee working towards a treaty to simplify the international registration of industrial designs are finding it difficult to agree whether the draft treaty text should include articles on technical assistance and capacity building, or whether a resolution should be left to a top-level meeting on the subject.
The Design Community’s Current And Future IP Challenges 30/05/2013 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A panel of professionals working in the design industry this week gave their views on the interaction between intellectual property, innovation and design.
Food Culture Clash: EU, US Conflicting Concepts For GIs; Both Covet Asian Market 29/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Geographical indications were born in Europe and still remain a widely used means to protect products from a particular region, with particular characteristics. The European Union has been a strong advocate of GIs in international negotiations, while their efforts have been countered by countries such as the United States which favour a trademark system. Now both sides are trying to impose their views through bilateral trade agreements, including with each other, according to speakers at a recent conference. And now a US trade association for generic names is raising concerns in Europe.
Financial IP Exchange To Launch First Contract Offering In June 29/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Intellectual Property Exchange International Inc. (IPXI), the world’s first financial exchange that facilitates non-exclusive licensing and trading of IP rights, will start offering a licence contract in June.
Civil Society Observer At UPOV Gets A Public Face 29/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Association for Plant Breeding for the Benefit of Society (APBREBES) announced that its website is now online and its first newsletter has been issued.
Despite Economic Growth, Africa Struggles To Meet All MDGs 28/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Despite increased economic growth over the past decade, Africa will not reach some of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets set forth in 2000 by the United Nations, including halving poverty by 2015, according to a UN report released yesterday.
Publishers Challenge Quality Of Open Educational Resources 28/05/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The International Publishers Association (IPA) has published a paper that raises questions about the quality, sustainability, and public funding of Open Educational Resources (OER).
World Health Assembly: IP Considerations Play Key Role In Final Outcomes 28/05/2013 by Rachel Marusak Hermann and Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Wrapping up one day early, the 66th World Health Assembly adopted a range of public health resolutions and decisions, some with key intellectual property implications, including a decision to convene a technical meeting on new public health R&D projects, a compromise on advancing the poor quality medicines mechanism, and resolutions on both neglected tropical diseases and noncommunicable diseases. Importantly, the novel coronavirus situation drew attention to WHO’s progress in pandemic influenza preparedness.
Technical Assistance A Challenge For WIPO Treaty On Industrial Designs 28/05/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Another World Intellectual Property Organization committee opened with the prospect of achieving progress on a potential treaty text this week. The committee is trying to establish an instrument that would simplify the international registration of industrial designs.