African Union Declares It Will Proceed With Pan-African IP Office 06/02/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The heads of state of the African Union (AU), the regional body working on African integration, have decided to proceed with the establishment of a Pan-African Intellectual Property Office (PAIPO), despite misgivings about the potential impact on their local economies.
Plant Variety Protection Meets Resistance in Developing Countries; Consultations Coming 04/02/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Plant variety protection has raised concerns in Africa and in Latin America, and further developments are expected in 2013.
Collaborative Capacity Building In Intellectual Property — Leveraging On African Diaspora Exchange 02/01/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Depending on where one locates its advent, contemporary globalization is now more than half a century old. It might be asked whether globalization has been beneficial to Africa. One quick and easy way of addressing this often asked question is to cursorily look at the regional dynamics of over half century of globalization. And this leads to an urgent call for “homeland-Diaspora” intellectual property training, says Prof. Chidi Oguamanam.
WIPO Visually Impaired Treaty: Voices From Africa On Dire Situation 16/12/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization is on the verge of deciding on a high-level meeting paving the way for a new treaty to facilitate access to books to visually impaired people. Meanwhile, in Africa, far from plenary discussions, the situation on the ground reveals a dire need for change.
From South Africa — Keeping Traditional Knowledge Traditional 07/12/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments There has been a tidal wave of severe criticism of the South African government’s proposed legislation to provide for protection for traditional knowledge in domestic South African law, writes Prof. Owen Dean. Now, the criticism seems to align with accepted international views.
Reshaping The International Copyright System To Facilitate Education In Developing Countries 28/11/2012 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment International copyright flexibilities are ill-suited to the need of developing countries to create effective access to printed materials in schools, a new book argues. The author, whose work was presented last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization, urges a normative and institutional rethinking of the current system.
South African Government Draws Many Views On Draft New National IP Policy 27/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Harmonisation of Africa’s seed laws: death knell for African seed systems The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has released its new report titled, ‘Harmonisation of Africa’s seed laws: a recipe for disaster- Players, motives and dynamics”. The report shows how African governments are being co-opted into harmonising seed laws relating to border control measures, phytosanitary […]
European Commission, ARIPO Sign Agreement On Agricultural GIs 27/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Commission and African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) yesterday signed a cooperation agreement on the protection of traditional agricultural products from specific geographical locations or with specific characteristics.
Report Seeks To Advance Global Debate On Technological Transfer 21/11/2012 by Tiphaine Nunzia Caulier for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A new report from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) proposes solutions to advancing the global technology transfer debate to better bridge the development gap between developed countries and the global South.
Sizing Up The “Ill-Conceived” PAIPO Draft Statute 06/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The text of the Draft Statute of the proposed Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization does not support a clear basis for criticism, but the lack of a clear need to put resources toward a centralised African registration system, and the lack of transparency about the process signal that the idea is “ill-conceived,” writes South African lawyer Sadulla Karjiker.