New Climate Technologies Rarely Reaching Developing Countries, Panel Says 13/07/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Climate-friendly technologies are only rarely being transferred to developing countries, and then primarily to a small handful of emerging market economies, said the findings of a study presented today. That the changing global climate requires urgent response, and that this response will most likely include technology, is largely agreed. But what role intellectual property rights play in making sure that technology exists and is available is still not yet fully understood.
ACTA Risks Long-Term Damage To Democratic Public Policymaking, NGOs Say 30/06/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An agreement on international intellectual property rights enforcement now under negotiation in Lucerne, Switzerland runs the risk of ushering in a new and undemocratic precedent for international policymaking that could have long-term damaging effects on critical public policy issues, non-negotiating government representatives and civil society advocates said this week.
No Decision On WIPO Treaty For Blind Persons Misses ‘Golden Opportunity’ 26/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 12 Comments Member states at the World Intellectual Property Organization late Thursday night were unable to reach agreement on a draft chair’s conclusions text summarising a four-day WIPO copyright committee meeting, crashing the prospect of swift progress on improving international access to literary material for the visually impaired.
Questions Arise On Value Of GIs For Poor Countries; Register Stuck At WTO 14/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments While World Trade Organization members met with their usual stasis last week on a mandated register for geographical indications, industry proponents of GIs continued lobbying to raise the awareness of delegates of countries not historically concerned with this form of intellectual property protection.
Health Waiver, IP Enforcement Discussed At Lively WTO TRIPS Council Meeting 10/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments After two days of lively discussion, members of a World Trade Organization committee this week agreed to devote a day in October to an in-depth discussion on a waiver to WTO intellectual property rules aimed at boosting access to medicines for poor countries. In addition, some member countries presented concerns about the possible effect of a global enforcement push by developed countries and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation outside WTO, while ACTA proponent countries sought to allay fears.
New Rwanda IP Policy Taps Information For Development 08/06/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment “Information is the lifeblood of development,” says the government of Rwanda in a recently-adopted intellectual property policy, part of the country’s comprehensive development strategy. The new policy attempts to integrate Rwanda into the international IP system while simultaneously safeguarding the freedom it needs to drive its own innovation system.
As WTO Reviews China, EU, US Criticise Its Policy On Innovation, IP Rights 03/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the past two years, China has acted to improve the protection of intellectual property rights with a need for continuing effort, a World Trade Organization report has found, but the country came under criticism this week from key trading partners such as the United States and the European Union for not providing adequate enforcement and for self-serving innovation practices.
World Health Assembly Creates New Initiative For R&D Financing 21/05/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments World Health Organization members today took an important step closer to finding new ways to finance research and development into diseases afflicting developing countries.
WHO’s Precious Matsoso On Public Health, Innovation And Intellectual Property 20/05/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The annual World Health Assembly is considering how to take forward a 2008 landmark decision at the World Health Organization that approved a new Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property. Precious Matsoso, the current director of the WHO programme, spoke to Intellectual Property Watch in April about the ongoing implementation of the strategy, and what is needed to keep momentum going.
Developing Countries Blast WHO Report On IP, Demand “Credible” Approach 18/05/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and William New 5 Comments A critical report on financing research and development of medicines for the world’s poorest was created without transparency, failed to live up to its mandate, and did not address the potential threat that intellectual property rights can pose to access to drugs, developing countries said today at the World Health Assembly. A proposal by a group of Latin American countries for a new intergovernmental working group was not accepted by developed countries and others and quick informal consultations began to work out differences before the end of the assembly this week.