East African Community Moves To Harmonise IP Rights Regulation 11/04/2014 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments KAMPALA – As the East African Community nears full revival, a bloc market covering five countries with a population of about 145 million people has emerged. But the member countries face another challenge: they have different levels of intellectual property rights protection.
UPOV To Examine ARIPO Legislation On Plant Variety Protection 08/04/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Several committees of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) will meet this week. One of them is called to assess a draft legal framework on plant variety protection from the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO). The draft legislation has drawn ire from civil society who charge that it is detrimental to small farmers and who argue that ARIPO does not have legitimacy to become a UPOV member.
Global Fund And Tiered Medicines Pricing Under Debate 07/04/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has launched an initiative with other agencies aimed at expanding global access to health products such as medicines. But the Fund has had some explaining to do about the initiative, which some say could encompass a plan to allow different prices based on national income levels.
MPP Drug Licensing Deal Brings Hope For Greater Access To HIV Treatments 04/04/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) this week announced two new licencing agreements with the private sector joint venture ViiV Healthcare that will increase access to a new antiretroviral in countries hardest hit by HIV.
UNITAID Publishes Full Report On Health Implications Of TPP 04/04/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment UNITAID has published the full version of its report on “The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Implications for Access to Medicines and Public Health.”
USPTO Creates Office Of International Patent Cooperation 03/04/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the creation of a new Office of International Patent Cooperation (OIPC), aimed at implementation of US patent cooperation efforts and helping to harmonise patent systems for the benefit of businesses and others.
Book Presentation At WIPO Brings An Injection Of Optimism 03/04/2014 by Joséphine De Ruyck for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a new book presented last week at the World Intellectual Property Organisation, an optimistic British economist suggests a shift in the way we think about global development by overcoming income as a unique indicator to evaluate worldwide progress.
Assessment Of Climate Change Data Offers Conflicting Advice On IP 01/04/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A much-discussed new United Nations report on climate change addresses intellectual property issues and the role of innovation in developing technology and disseminate knowledge for local adaption to climate change.
Alternative Therapies, Incentive Models Eyed For Antibiotic Resistance 28/03/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As bacteria become more and more resistant to existing medicines, product pipelines are drying up. A solution may lie in a forgotten therapy developed in 1917, the use of which has been restricted to certain parts of Eastern Europe ever since the discovery and universal use of antibiotics. But business models and intellectual property regimes need to change to provide incentives for research and development in this area.
Indigenous Peoples Present Their Perspectives On Traditional Knowledge At WIPO 25/03/2014 by Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch and Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Representatives of indigenous peoples opened a key meeting at the World Intellectual Property Organization with a discussion of the definition of traditional knowledge (TK), the presence of TK in the public domain, and respect for indigenous peoples’ rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.