Knowledge Access Blooms In The Desert: Egypt’s Fragile Stake In IP 11/02/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments CAIRO – The launch this week on the new campus of American University in Cairo of a new centre and a new book on access to knowledge in Egypt offered a view on the complexities of the issues and the challenges developing countries face to ensure global intellectual property rights are incorporated into their legal systems in the most locally productive ways possible.
Informe de la ONU: las políticas mundiales de PI no prestan atención a los derechos de los indígenas 09/02/2010 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Las culturas de los pueblos indígenas a menudo no se han tenido en cuenta en la elaboración de las normas mundiales de propiedad intelectual, según se afirma en un nuevo informe de las Naciones Unidas.
Year Ahead: Key Year For Biodiversity, Environment, Food Security, Traditional Knowledge 28/01/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Access and benefit sharing will top agendas at several different intergovernmental bodies this year on issues of biodiversity, environment, food security and traditional knowledge, and stakeholders will be watching the movement across fora of emerging models and potential pitfalls from parallel negotiations.
Biodiversity ‘EcoChic’ At UN: “Organic, Fair Trade, And Damn Sexy” 22/01/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Biodiversity preservation is getting a makeover, or so hope the organisers of an “EcoChic” event at the Palais de Nations yesterday. Attendees strategised about how the fickle spirit of fashion might be harnessed to support the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s access and benefit-sharing regime and sustainability goals, as staff carefully anchored helium-filled white lanterns above a normally staid conference chamber and participants balanced on noticeably higher heels than normally seen in UN corridors.
UN Report: Indigenous Rights Ignored In Global IP Policy 14/01/2010 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments The cultures of indigenous peoples have frequently been ignored when global standards on intellectual property were being set, a new United Nations report has stated.
Panel Explores Use Of Geographical Indications For Development 21/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property related to geographically-specific products can be harnessed for development purposes, argued panellists at a recent event in Geneva. But there are specific challenges related to using such tools in the developing world that must also be addressed.
WIPO Traditional Knowledge Meeting Stalls, But Begins To Breach ‘Trust Gap’ 14/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After an auspicious beginning on substantive issues, the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee stalled on matters of procedure at the end of its meeting last week. With no mandate, a committee working group will not meet in early 2010 as planned, and the full committee will move meet again sooner than scheduled to try to agree on process.
WIPO Traditional Knowledge Negotiators Dodging Roadblocks 10/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment How to handle work between meetings on creating a “legal instrument” caused a stalemate in informal negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee this evening. Unable to reach agreement on the composition and activities of the group, delegates have put the negotiations on hold and will reconvene informally tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Mismatch On Traditional Knowledge Treaty Text, Negotiating Sessions At WIPO 08/12/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore (IGC) at the World Intellectual Property Organization began its first meeting under a newly-minted mandate yesterday, though it seems matters of procedure may again take up much of the space for discussions, according to several delegates.
Biodiversity Negotiations Need To Allow For Flexibility In Business, Industry Says 25/11/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Aspects of a legally-binding international agreement on access and benefit-sharing under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity may harm business interests and also fail to reach its objectives of protecting and preserving biodiversity, said members of a panel of industry representatives in Geneva yesterday. Some also expressed doubt about the likelihood of the access and benefit sharing regime meeting its deadline of having full agreement by its October meeting next year in Nagoya, Japan.