Roche Exec Takes Over At Medicines For Malaria Venture 06/01/2011 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A top Swiss company executive on pandemic influenza and HIV/AIDS research took the reins of the Geneva-based Medicines for Malaria Venture this week, just weeks after MMV was given international organisation status by the Swiss government.
IP & Traditional Cultural Expressions: An Unnatural Alliance? 05/01/2011 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Incorporating traditional cultural expressions into an intellectual property system will be an uphill battle, warned a panellist at a recent side event at the World Intellectual Property Organization. But, argued another, it could be one of the best ways for indigenous communities to benefit from their knowledge.
Patent On AIDS Medicine Denied In India; Seen Unlocking Market 04/01/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A decision by the Indian Patent Office to reject a patent on an AIDS drug last week has drawn acclaim from civil society and Indian generic pharmaceutical industries. The decision was not based on a controversial article of Indian law aimed at preventing patent extensions but rather on the grounds of non-inventiveness. Abbott Laboratories, meanwhile, presented Intellectual Property Watch with justification for its Indian patent request.
Top IP-Watch Stories Of 2010: Copyright Fights, ACTA, Medicines Access 30/12/2010 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At Intellectual Property Watch, a list of the top 25 posts of 2010 reveals your – our readers’ – top interests and tells the tale of the past year. It also is a reminder that quality reporting needs support. Please subscribe to IP-Watch via our website, or contact the director at wnew@ip-watch.ch.
Nations Closer To Pandemic Vaccine Framework, Key Negotiator Says 24/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment There could be some good news in 2011 for poor populations concerned about the impact of devastating pandemic diseases. Nations last week reached some breakthroughs behind closed doors in the sensitive international negotiations on finding a way to ensure all global citizens can obtain vaccines in the face of pandemics, according to a leading official in the talks. But some observers said problems remain in establishing clear rules for fair access and benefit-sharing of viruses and vaccines.
US Industrial Policies, R&D, And The WTO’s Definition Of Non-Actionable Subsidies 23/12/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The US organizes a sophisticated industrial policy regime by exploiting an exception in the World Trade Organization agreement that allows governments to subsidize research and development carried out by private firms, writes Professor Fred Block.
Both Sides Of US Copyright Wars Reloading For 2011 20/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Two sides of the ongoing struggle to balance stronger copyright protection and access to knowledge in the United States are re-arming themselves for battle in 2011. By the looks of it, it could be a litigious New Year.
US Ambassador: Over-Focus On Development “Will Kill” WIPO 17/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization is headed in a controversial direction, and a focus on development at the expense of protection of intellectual property rights will mean the end of the agency, the United States Ambassador Betty King said yesterday.
US Ambassador In Geneva Defends Secrecy In UN Pandemics Negotiations 17/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva this week offered a frank assessment of the UN system of dealing with pandemic diseases, and defended the need for governments to negotiate in secret to work out remaining differences.
Efforts To Limit Effects Of TRIPS In India Might Not Be Working, Study Says 17/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Strategies may be failing to ensure developing countries’ implementation of global trade rules for intellectual property protection does not squelch access to affordable medicines worldwide, according to a study presented this week.