WIPO’s Gurry Says ‘Crisis In Multilateralism’ Bringing Changes To IP 17/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The rapid pace of technology and dramatic shifts in the global economy will bring change to the multilateral structure set up after the Second World War, and these changes will affect the intellectual property system, World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry said this week.
Calls At UN For An International Body To Prevent Internet Control 15/12/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Opinions were divided in a United Nations consultation yesterday in New York on enhanced cooperation of public policy issues pertaining to the internet, whether two bodies on the issue are needed.
UN Climate Talks Find Make-Do Solution; IP Rights Dismissed 14/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United Nations climate change conference closed at dawn last Saturday, with a make-do package of decisions advantageously labelled the “Cancun Agreements”. Intellectual property rights have all but disappeared from the texts as Bolivia stood alone in disagreement and was shush-gavelled.
Europe Told Of Obligations On Virus Benefit-Sharing 14/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In what may be the first legal reference to newly adopted international rules on sharing the benefits of and access to genetic resources, non-governmental groups have sent letters to top European health officials reminding them of these obligations in the context of influenza viruses and access to vaccines – a topic under debate this week at the World Health Organization.
WTO Members Discuss GIs As EU Proposes Higher Regional Protection 13/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment World Trade Organization members last week agreed to work on a draft text for an international register of geographical indications for wines and spirits by April 2011. Meanwhile, the European Commission took steps last week to raise GI protection within the region.
WIPO Members Move To Detailed Talks Toward Folklore Treaty 11/12/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Delegates negotiating early stages of a treaty on traditional cultural expressions this week got down to details of what to protect, from whom and how in late-night drafting sessions at the World Intellectual Property Organization, and found a work plan for the immediate future on genetic resources as well. Meanwhile, indigenous groups continued to raise concerns about the process.
IP Issues In Shadows At Climate Change Conference 10/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment As delegates in Cancun, Mexico, neared the end of their search this week for consensus on how to stop climate change, intellectual property issues were being set aside for later.
Does EU-India FTA Serve Mutual Interests? Policymakers, NGOs Disagree 10/12/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The proposed European Union-India free trade agreement was one of the top issues at the 11th EU-India Summit held in Brussels today. But two sides of the story are being told about who will benefit or lose.
What If There Were An Application For Dot Wikileaks? 09/12/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments What would happen if the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) received an application for a .wikileaks top level domain name (TLD) next year, under its new system of opening up the internet for domains? It could make an interesting example of how well the complex system to apply for new TLDs works and how much political intervention is possible in the system. At the 39th ICANN meeting in Cartagena, Colombia this week, the self-regulatory body is trying to finalise issues in the published Final Applicant Guidebook – and it is governments and trademark owners that are calling for more time and more procedures.
Caribbean IP: Ensure Unending Local Protection Of Traditional Knowledge 07/12/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments In the Caribbean, issues of traditional knowledge in intellectual property are hardly considered to be of special significance to the majority of policymakers and, except for a few pockets of interest groups such as a group of Rastafarians in Jamaica, the average citizen is uninformed on the subject. The protection of the cultural heritage of the region through a normative system of law is exceedingly necessary for the survival of our unique brand of cultural expression, writes Abiola Inniss.