Survey: US Health Agency Should Use Patent Rights To Keep Drugs Affordable 29/08/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A new survey supports the argument of public health advocates that pharmaceuticals resulting from government-funded research in the United States should be no more expensive than in other similar countries, and that patent rights should be used to make it so.
Global IP Debate Over Rooibos Intensifies As More Claims Surface 29/08/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In light of increasing attempts to trademark the South African product rooibos, rooibos tea industry stakeholders are considering a call for an audit of the product’s trademarks registered in the world, in order to inform the best strategy to protect it as a unique South African product.
WIPO Director Calls For “Re-Thinking” Intellectual Property 28/08/2013 by Alessandro Marongiu for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry last week issued a call for a redefinition of the functions of the IP system in the context of a fast-changing and globalised world.
WIPO To Hold Teach-In On Value Of IP System To Indigenous Peoples 28/08/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization has scheduled a workshop in December to teach indigenous peoples the value of the intellectual property system in protecting their knowledge and resources.
US IP Enforcement Coordinator Named To Lead Industry Group 28/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a common move for Washington officials who work to protect industry interests while in office, the first-ever United States intellectual property enforcement coordinator has been named to lead a large US software industry group that lobbied her office up until she left two weeks ago.
Library Group Publishes User Guide To WIPO Marrakesh Treaty 27/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) has released a user guide to the recently adopted “Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.” LCA is an organisation representing three major North American library associations.
Patently Geopolitical: The New Frontier of Government And Market Interaction 26/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The USTR’s disapproval of the ITC order excluding Apple products from the US raises difficult issues about the relationship between public decision-making and private solutions — and invites strategic policymaking by other governments.
US Watchdog Weighs Role Of Non-Practising Entities In Patent Litigation 23/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In an attempt to clarify the role of non-practising entities in patent infringement lawsuits, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) yesterday released a new report highlighting major trends in patent litigation activities in the US.
South Africa Moves Toward New IP Policy; Rooibos Industry Seeks Protection 23/08/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment CAPE TOWN – The South African National Intellectual Property Policy is expected to be published this month, after a much-anticipated wait to see what shape and form the policy has given intellectual property rights in the country.
Interviews: What Protection Of Traditional Knowledge Means To Indigenous Peoples 20/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization member states in July concluded the biennium work of the committee tasked with finding agreement on international legal tools to prevent misappropriation and misuse of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Indigenous peoples and local communities are holders of a substantial part of this knowledge and are demanding that it be protected against misappropriation but also against its use without their consent. Intellectual Property Watch recently conducted two interviews on the issue with different indigenous groups.