Things Heat Up In WIPO Debate On Patents And Health 14/12/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization patent law committee this week became the latest venue for the global debate over the system to provide incentives to the pharmaceutical industry to find new medicines while ensuring all patients have access to those medicines. Most developing countries want the committee to discuss the recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, while most developed countries disagree. The tone is rising, and the issue could come as a hurdle as countries decide the future work of the committee.
Music Industry Groups In Harmony In Calling For Support From Trump 14/12/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A wide array of music industry groups, from Christian to classical, rhythm & blues to movie soundtracks, and everything in between sent a letter to United States President-Elect Donald Trump urging him to take their intellectual property rights into consideration when he meets with technology industry leaders on 14 December.
ICC Named UN Observer – Big Business Gets A Seat At The UN Table 14/12/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The International Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organisation, today was granted observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, given business a direct voice in the UN system for the first time ever, the ICC announced.
USPTO Director Lee Discusses Importance Of Patent Quality 13/12/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Opening a conference on patent quality today, United States Patent and Trademark Office Director Michele Lee highlighted efforts of the administration in improving the quality of patents and addressing backlog of patent applications. Patent backlog is down by one-third since the start of the Obama administration, she said.
UNESCO Report Backs Right To Encryption In ‘Golden Age Of Surveillance’ 13/12/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has released a report on encryption, taking the perspective of human rights.
EU, Canada Meet To Discuss A New Model For Investor-State Trade Disputes 13/12/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Commission and the Canadian government today and tomorrow are hosting a first meeting for talks on a new multilateral investment court. Such a court could, the European Commission explained in an announcement, become the follow-up mechanism for the existing investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions that are part of 3,200 bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements around the world.
WIPO Patent Committee Asked To Discuss UN High Level Report On Access To Medicines 13/12/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization patent law committee is a unique international forum where discussions about the patent system are held. The committee meeting this week is a display of different views of developed and developing countries on how the patent system is expected to meet their needs.
US Supreme Court Declines To Hear Biologic Drug Patent Fight 13/12/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case over whether companies that make copycat versions of biologic drugs must wait six months after winning federal approval before bringing them to the market.
UAEM Targets Accessible Medicines, R&D Financing, Publicly Funded Research 13/12/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment From extracurricular creativity to global campaigns, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) continues in its activities to raise awareness and explore how universities can best direct their research and innovations towards promoting global access to medicines. In the next year, UAEM will extend its national and international campaigns to address the high prices of medicines, continue to gather support for a global agreement on research and development and build on the mapping alternative R&D initiatives.
A Look At The UNAIDS Board Debate On IP And Medicines; Outcome Fell Short For Some 12/12/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The discussion on intellectual property-related barriers to access to medicines was one of the most contentious points of the 39th meeting of the UNAIDS governing board last week. After hours of negotiations, the board agreed that the organisation will keep working on the issue. But developing countries and civil society would have preferred a stronger mandate, according to representatives.