Antigua Questions Efficacy Of WTO Dispute System Over IP-Related Case 26/04/2014 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Can the World Trade Organization’s smallest members use the dispute settlement system effectively? That is a question that seemed to be suggested by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda at a WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting yesterday, in an intellectual property-related case involving a United States gambling ban.
WTO To Consider Five Australia Plain Packaging Disputes Under One Panel 26/04/2014 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday agreed to establish two more panels in a dispute against Australia’s plain packaging for tobacco products, bringing the total to five. And it was agreed that a single panel will be appointed to study the five complaints.
NETmundial Internet Governance Meeting Closes With Less Than “Rough Consensus” 25/04/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Russia, Cuba, India and the civil society stakeholder group did not agree to the final outcome document of the NETmundial internet governance meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil yesterday.
UN Climate Change Report Assesses Options For Technology And IP Policy 25/04/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments The latest United Nations report on climate change offers advice for international and national intellectual property policies relating to climate change mitigation technology. Although strong IP rights may foster green technology development and transfer in developed countries, there is a lack of evidence to support IP strengthening in developing countries, it concludes.
NetMundial Outcome Document Now Available 25/04/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The final outcome document of the two-day NetMundial internet governance meeting in Sao Paolo has been posted. The meeting took place on 23-24 April. The document is available here. The 11-page “statement” document contains different sections addressing key related and tangential issues to internet governance. It does not appear to include intellectual property directly, but […]
US, Japan Agree To “Inject New Momentum” Into TPP Talks 25/04/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Japan and the United States today announced their renewed commitment to an ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The statement from the bilateral leaders’ meeting followed reports that bilateral talks toward the TPP were stalling. The White House statement reads: “The United States and Japan also coordinate closely in multilateral financial and economic fora to advance […]
Debate Over Inclusion Of IP In NetMundial Outcome Document 24/04/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Final decisions are pending if and how intellectual property protection should be covered in the outcome document of the NetMundial meeting in Sao Paolo, which comes to a close tonight.
WIPO Copyright Committee To Consider Broadcasting Treaty, Exceptions For Libraries 24/04/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization delegates next week are expected to pore over a draft treaty text offering protection to broadcasters. Some issues, such as what the protection should cover, remain in the way of consensual language, and a new proposal has been put forward by the United Kingdom. Also on the agenda of the copyright committee is exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives, for which the nature of the instrument(s) that would provide such exceptions is not yet defined. Another agenda item is a proposal on a copyright consortium for managing books for visually impaired persons.
Special Report: One Year On At The Medicines Patent Pool: Interview With Greg Perry 24/04/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Greg Perry has been executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for over a year now, since January 2013. Under his guidance, MPP shares that it has launched a “series of new licensing agreements and negotiations with key patent holders and generic medicines companies.” Intellectual Property Watch sat down with Perry recently to discuss why the MPP is so important as an alternative business model, the context of the MPP, changes in the global approach to the issue of access, and how the MPP fits within the Geneva context.
Consensus On Principles Difficult To Bake Into Two-Day NetMundial 24/04/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Consensus on the outcome document seemed elusive on day one of the NetMundial meeting that started in Sao Paulo yesterday. But ambitions are high for many.