India: Balancing Public And Private Interests In The Intellectual Property Regime 18/09/2012 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments NEW DELHI – In this month, there have been two court orders in India that underscore the complexities underlying the country’s intellectual property regime. Last Friday (14 September), the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) which is responsible for hearing appeals on patent applications, rejected a petition by German pharma major Bayer AG, seeking a stay on an order of India’s Controller of Patents granting a compulsory licence (CL) to Indian generic drug maker Natco Pharma Limited, for a drug used to treat liver and kidney cancer.
How To Reboot WIPO 12/09/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments By this point, I’m sure the entire intellectual property community knows that WIPO has problems, from an investigation of sanctions-busting in its technical assistance programmes going back years to allegations of vote-buying through abuse of the hiring process. It harkens back to the dying days of the term of the last Director-General, Kamil Idris, who left office early under a cloud, writes Nick Ashton-Hart.
Review Of WIPO Shipments To Iran, North Korea Issued; US Calls For New Safeguards 11/09/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An independent study of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s technical assistance to countries sanctioned by the United Nations was released today, and while it did not conclude whether WIPO violated UN protocol or whether there was any personal gain involved, it did raise questions as to how such behaviour could have been perpetuated from the early 2000s right up to this year. Separately today, the United States government made a sharp statement in a members-only WIPO meeting raising concerns about WIPO’s technical assistance activities and its viability as an organisation if it does not attain “an appropriate level of oversight, accountability and transparency.” The US called for new safeguards to ensure monthly, quarterly and annual reviews of its technical assistance involving sanctioned member states, and assurances that WIPO staff can speak with risk about past activities.
WIPO Drug Research Project Strikes First Agreements 29/08/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A World Intellectual Property Organization project aimed at expanding research on diseases occurring predominately in developing countries using IP-protected material has announced its first research agreements.
US Congressional Committee Cancels Briefing, Blames WIPO Director General 24/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee today cancelled its briefing on computer equipment shipments to Iran and North Korea authorised by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The committee took the action after WIPO Director General Francis Gurry blocked two senior staff from participating in the meeting.
US Congressional Committee Urged To Invite WIPO Staff Involved In Computer Shipments 23/07/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has notified the US congressional committee scheduled to hold a briefing tomorrow on WIPO technical assistance shipments of computers and software to North Korea and Iran that the committee should invite staff who have more direct knowledge of those activities.
Industry Groups Press For EU, US Action On Trade Secret Protection 16/07/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Theft of trade secrets, or “confidential business information,” has reached such an appalling level that legislative action is needed, industry groups say. They’re pushing the European Union and United States to get involved, and may be making headway.
Switzerland Most Innovative Economy, Global Divide Persists, Says WIPO/INSEAD Index 03/07/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Global Innovation Index 2012 launched today by the World Intellectual Property Organization and INSEAD shows a clear innovation divide in world economies. It advises countries to maintain their efforts to support and foster innovation despite the lingering economic crisis, as a key element of sustainable growth.
Rio+20 Climate Talks Finish With Little IP; Flexibilities Under Fire 25/06/2012 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments RIO DE JANEIRO – Many of the technologies that can make the world more sustainable are available today. But how to transfer such green technologies to those most in need of them remains a question on which there are starkly divergent views – even after last week’s much-anticipated Rio+20 leaders’ summit.
Near-Final Draft Of Rio+20 Outcome Document Shows Likely Commitments 20/06/2012 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A draft of the outcome document for this week’s Rio+20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said to be close to the final version, shows where governments have placed their focus. It appears that technology transfer is well-recognised, intellectual property rights to a lesser extent, but firm actions in these areas may still be to come.