WIPO Programme And Budget Committee Passes Baton To Assembly 16/09/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization delegates last week stumbled on a number of issues while discussing the programme and budget of the organisation, leaving to the annual WIPO General Assembly convening next week the task of breaching differences. Particular issues included proposed new WIPO external offices, the programme on small and medium-sized enterprises and innovation, and development expenditure.
Dominican Republic Prepares To Launch Patent Database 11/09/2013 by Luis Gil Abinader for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The National Industrial Property Office of the Dominican Republic (ONAPI) is working on a database that would make information about patent applications filed in the country readily available. Currently, obtaining such information can be costly and complicated.
WHO Now Charging Fees For Drug Prequalification, Raising Access Fears 10/09/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency in persistent financial straits, has announced it must begin charging a fee to manufacturers seeking prequalification of their vaccines and diagnostics. The announcement stirred concern among public health advocates that it might have a negative effect for procurement and access to life-saving medicines.
WIPO Members Discuss Budget, Projects, Finance, Human Resources This Week 10/09/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization member states are expected to take a set of decisions this week on the future budget of the organisation, and have to bridge a number of differences on programmes before the General Assembly taking place later this month.
COHRED Publishes Guidance For Negotiating Fair Research Contracts, Including IPRs 06/09/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Geneva-based Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) recently published a “guidance resource for the negotiation of fair research contracts in collaborative research partnerships.” The guide includes several basic considerations on intellectual property rights for contract negotiators.
European IP Body Issues Paper On Valuation Of Intellectual Property 05/09/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A European intellectual property information agency recently released a paper explaining a number of tools commonly used in the market to value IP assets.
WIPO Forum Presents Four “Game-Changers” In Innovation 03/09/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization later this month will hold a forum on innovation featuring four “world-renowned pioneers from the fields of medicine, architecture and industrial design,” as a way to bring common insights to intellectual property policymakers and stakeholders working to achieve a “balanced, inclusive” IP system.
What Does WTO Extension For LDCs To Enforce IP Mean For Pharmaceuticals? 02/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The recent extension granted by World Trade Organization members to least developed countries giving 8 more years to implement international intellectual property protection rules threw a shroud of confusion over a parallel WTO waiver for pharmaceutical products conferred on least developed countries until 2016. In an attempt to shed some light on the issue, several experts were asked for their reflections on the consequences of the new extension.
EFPIA, PhRMA Release Joint Principles For Clinical Trial Data-Sharing, To Criticism 30/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) endorsed joint principles for clinical trial data-sharing.
Concerns Raised Over Potential Threat of Investment Agreements 25/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Investor agreements, included in many bilateral investment treaties (BITs), are a source of growing concern for many national governments. These agreements essentially leave countries vulnerable to litigation by individual firms, rather than other countries, as is the case in traditional World Trade Organization disputes.