Clash Continues On U.S.-Central America Trade Deal 01/03/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Protection of pharmaceutical patents may not be the biggest reason the Bush administration is struggling to line up congressional votes for a free trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, but it remains critical to its passage. The issue pits two sides against each other within a larger, ongoing struggle to […]
“Deliverables” For Developing Nations Discussed By Hand-Picked WIPO Members 17/02/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of nations hand-picked by the head of the World Intellectual Property Organisation on Thursday concluded informal consultations on ways to move the harmonisation of national patent regimes forward while addressing development concerns of some countries seen as delaying WIPO’s progress on the issue. Among the topics expected to be discussed during the consultations […]
US Tech Industry Urges More Patent Applications 16/02/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Washington, DC–United States technology industry leaders today decried the rapid growth in research and development in major industrialized and developing nations, including the rapid rise in patent applications in Asia, and urged fast action by the US government. In calling for larger domestic R&D budgets, John Engler, president of the US National Association of Manufacturers, […]
Experts Debate Access To Knowledge 15/02/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property experts from a wide range of backgrounds are finding common ground in informal proposals to ensure the right of individuals to access knowledge, including possibly through a negotiated treaty at the U.N. The issue has come of age in the digital era, as intellectual property owners have sought to protect their rights in […]
UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Adoption of General Comment on the “moral and material interests of the rights of authors” deferred 01/12/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After many hours of contentious discussion, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) chose last week to defer adoption of a General Comment on the “right of everyone to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.” […]
WIPO Broadcasting Treaty Discussions End in Controversy, Confusion 22/11/2004 by Carolyn Deere, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Discussions last week in WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyrights and Related Rights (SCCR) on a proposed treaty that would expand protections for broadcasting organisations ended in heated debate about whether the Chair’s report of the meeting adequately reflected the views of all Member States. The Chair’s departure in the final moments of the meeting from […]
WIPO Secretariat Ramps up the Pressure for a new Treaty on Broadcasting Organisations 04/11/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the recent WIPO Assembly, Member States resisted pressures to move forward with a diplomatic conference on a proposed new treaty to provide increased protection to broadcasting organisations. The WIPO Secretariat’s activism in pushing for a rapid convening of a Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of the Rights of Broadcasting Organisations generated strong reactions from […]
The Domino Effect of US FTAs: Public Health Groups, Members of Congress claim CAFTA will choke Access to Medicines 04/11/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Recent efforts to rally Congress to approve a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reached earlier this year with Central American countries has reignited debate about USTR’s approach to intellectual property and the implications for access to essential medicines. The Agreement with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua was reached in May 2004 and supplemented […]
WIPO Proposal for PCT Fee Increase rejected: the Search for 70 million Swiss Francs continues… 04/11/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The rejection at the recent WIPO Assembly of a Secretariat proposal to increase fees for patent applications filed under the terms of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) has prompted a broader interest in WIPO’s financial management and its accountability to Member States. The proposal—designed in part to compensate for an expected shortfall of 70 million […]
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Civil Society Groups fear a rushed General Comment on “Intellectual Property” 04/11/2004 by Isabelle Scherer for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The plans of a leading UN human rights body to finalize a General Comment on “Intellectual Property and Human Rights” in November has provoked calls from human rights and public interest organisations for greater opportunities for public input. At stake is the content of a draft General Comment by the UN Committee on Economic, Social […]