Open Letter From Staff To The Director General Of WIPO 08/10/2007 by Intellectual Property Watch 16 Comments Pour la version française, cliquer ici Where are you Director General? For the first time in WIPO’s history, the Assemblies were unable to agree on the adoption of the budget of the Organization. For the first time, the member states had to have recourse to a fratricidal vote on these questions and thereby to abandon […]
NGOs Having Major Impact On WIPO Agenda, Panel Says 05/10/2007 by Paul Garwood for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Paul Garwood Non-governmental organisations have been able to influence the debate and priorities within the World Intellectual Property Organization and make IP issues more understood in the developing world, speakers at a seminar in Geneva said Monday. Wend Wendland, head of WIPO’s programme on traditional knowledge, which began in 1998, said civil society had […]
Switzerland Urges Immediate Search For New WIPO Director General 05/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New Switzerland, in its role as host country of the World Intellectual Property Organization, this week issued a call for an immediate search for a new leader of the organisation in order to address concerns of mismanagement and lack of credibility. In an unusually blunt press statement, the Swiss government expressed dissatisfaction with […]
WIPO Assembly Ends In Deadlock Over Budget, Director General 04/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New The annual General Assemblies of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization ended in a stalemate Wednesday with no approval of a new budget or proposed cuts in patent fees and no decision on the fate of embattled Director General Kamil Idris, according to early reports from some participants. “It was a catastrophe,” […]
US Courts Swinging Toward Higher Threshold For Patentability 04/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch For years, the United States has appeared unusually generous towards patent applicants. The country has extended legal protection to many inventions, such as business methods, that typically are not patentable in Europe and other parts of the world. Now, however, America appears to be back-pedalling. Two recent court rulings in the United States have significantly cut back on the types of inventions that can patented in the country. And these decisions may be just the beginning. More court-imposed restrictions may be coming soon, according to some experts.
Le Plan d’action de l’OMPI pour le développement est sur les rails 04/10/2007 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par William New Les membres de l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle ont officiellement adopté vendredi un nouveau Plan d’action pour le développement, jetant les bases d’une orientation plus marquée de l’organisation vers le développement. Les détails relatifs à la mise en œuvre du plan d’action seront définis ultérieurement. «Ce jour est à marquer d’une […]
La OMPI emprende un nuevo programa sobre propiedad intelectual y desarrollo 04/10/2007 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por William New Los Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual adoptaron formalmente el pasado viernes un nuevo Programa para el Desarrollo, imprimiendo así una perspectiva más amplia del desarrollo a todas sus actividades. Los detalles sobre su aplicación se establecerán más adelante. “Este es un gran día”, comentó el Embajador de […]
Debate On Director General Reaches Breaking Point 02/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization on Tuesday appeared to be near a breaking point on the effort by developed countries to discuss possible improprieties and mismanagement by the WIPO director general and their effort to get him to resign. The issue has clouded the entire 24 September to 3 October […]
Les accords bilatéraux entre l’UE et les pays en développement suscitent des inquiétudes 02/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par David Cronin pour Intellectual Property Watch BRUXELLES – L’inquiétude grandit en Europe et dans les pays en développement concernant la possibilité qu’un certain nombre d’accords de libre échange qui devraient être signés dans le courant de l’année contienne des règles excessivement sévères sur la propriété intellectuelle. La Commission Européenne, l’organe exécutif de l’Union Européenne, […]
The Idris Dilemma And The WIPO Development Agenda 02/10/2007 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Sisule F. Musungu On Friday, 28th September 2007 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly finally adopted a development agenda for WIPO. The Assembly adopted a set of 45 proposals under six clusters, namely: technical assistance and capacity building; norm-setting, flexibilities and public domain; technology transfer, ICTs and access to knowledge; assessment, evaluation […]