WIPO Committee Opens With Debate On Review Of Development Agenda Implementation 18/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization development committee opened its meeting this week with a heavy list of subjects to cover but developing country delegates insisted on diving headfirst into the issue of an independent review to measure how WIPO applies a development dimension to its activities.
Article: WIPO Director Gurry In Hot Seat On Eve Of Election Deadline 18/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment An article in the local Geneva press today asserts that World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry is in the hot seat over the inability of member states to pass a budget for the UN agency. The article ties the budget delay in part to member states’ concern over Gurry’s signing of a deal to set up an external WIPO office in Moscow following a 2011 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also raises serious issues over alleged DNA taken on several WIPO employees without their knowledge during the tumultuous transition of Gurry’s WIPO predecessor, who stepped down a year early in 2008.
India Weathering Doubts About Its Approach To Intellectual Property 18/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments NEW YORK – The US Chamber of Commerce has been on a campaign to show that India’s recent treatment of intellectual property is harming foreign investment and its economy. Last week, the heavyweight Washington industry group brought its argument directly to the investment community in Manhattan.
Comments Received On South Africa’s Process For New IP Policy 18/11/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments CAPE TOWN – The much-anticipated process of public submissions into the draft South Africa National Intellectual Property Policy has come to a close. The country’s trade minister says the office is busy collating the 100 documents submitted by interested stakeholders and plans to submit a formal policy to cabinet for approval in the first quarter of next year.
South African Government Draws Many Views On Draft New National IP Policy 15/11/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN – The much-anticipated process of gathering public submissions on the draft South Africa National Intellectual Property Policy has come to a close. The country’s trade minister says the office is busy collating some 100 documents submitted by interested stakeholders, and plans to submit a formal policy to cabinet for approval in the first […]
USTR Froman Pitches Benefits Of TPP For Japan-US Business 15/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A day after the stunning release of a recent draft of the intellectual property chapter of the highly secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, United States Trade Representative Michael Froman promoted the potential benefits of the trade deal for companies doing business in Japan – including for IP rights protection.
Capture, Sunlight, And The TPP Leak 14/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Margot Kaminski writes in Concurring Opinions: Yesterday, Wikileaks leaked the draft IP chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The US Trade Representative has shown the draft text to its closed advisory committees, but not to anybody else. Content industries and pharmaceutical industries sit on the IP advisory committee. Internet industries, smaller innovators, generics companies, and public interest groups do not. This is no accident. When Congress established the trade negotiating system, it exempted the Trade Representative from requirements of an open government law that was enacted to prevent agency capture.
Brands A Growing Economic Asset, But Further Economic Work Needed, WIPO Says In Report 14/11/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization today issued its second-ever report on global IP trends, focussing on brands, the relevance of reputation, and image in the global marketplace. Increases in trademark applications and the global value of brands are presented in the report, which looks at economic impact, competition, and concerns over counterfeiting of brands.
Wikileaks’ Release Of TPP Chapter On IP Blows Open Secret Trade Negotiation 13/11/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments For years, the United States and partner governments have worked vigorously to keep the publics they represent from knowing what they are negotiating behind closed doors in the top-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But today’s Wikileaks release of the draft intellectual property chapter blew that up, confirming the fears of public interest groups that this is an agreement heavily weighted toward big industry interests.
Event Brings Business Perspective To Creating, Leveraging IP In Developing Countries 13/11/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An event being held in Durban, South Africa next week will bring the expertise of global and local businesses, governments, academics and others to the issues of harnessing foreign intellectual property rights as well as creating local IP rights.