Ethiopian Becomes First African Head Of World Health Organization 23/05/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In a novel election process for the first time involving the full organisation membership, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia this evening was elected as the next director general of the World Health Organization, becoming the first official from Africa to be chosen to head the United Nations health agency.
Attacks On WHO Candidate Are Defamatory, ‘Colonial’, Ambassador Says 17/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The African Union delegation to the United Nations came in outspoken numbers to a press briefing today to express unshakable support for the Ethiopian candidate to be the next head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
International IP Treaties Bring Tension in Africa’s Homegrown Knowledge Governance 15/05/2017 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The belief that intellectual property promotes foreign direct investment and international trade has brought tension in African countries’ ability to eliminate trade barriers, and to ensure local governments are able to develop policies that respond to local needs, according to an extensive new analysis.
Court Ruling On IP Struggle Between Movie Producers Shows Level Of Copyright Awareness In Nigeria 24/04/2017 by Jackie Opara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments LAGOS, Nigeria — A federal high court in Lagos granted an interim order on 24 March, stopping the premiere and release of a movie called the “Okafor’s Law” over copyright infringement.
Licence For A New Hepatitis Treatment, With An Eye To Affordability 21/04/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Medicines Patent Pool has received a licence to develop ravidasvir, a new treatment for hepatitis C.
QUNO Briefs: Food Security Needs Farmers In Global Discussions, Agricultural Biodiversity 21/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The participation of small-scale farmers at the table of international negotiations and the protection of agricultural biodiversity are key to food security, according to the Quaker United Nations Office, which published last month two policy briefs with a list of recommendations.
African Civil Society, Farmers Demand ARIPO Lift Blackout On Protocol Protecting Plant Varieties 20/04/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Civil society and farmers allege communication blackout from by the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) about a protocol protecting new plant varieties. The 2015 protocol was highly criticised by those organisations as endangering traditional practices of African farmers. Draft regulations could not be adopted in December, but the regional organisation, according to the civil society and farmer groups, is keeping the outcome of the December meeting secret.
Public-Private Coalition’s High-Profile Delinkage Policy For Emerging Vaccines 04/04/2017 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It’s early February in Tchaourou district, Borgou in Benin, and a pregnant woman is admitted to hospital. Her premature baby is born by caesarean section but she dies a day later on February 12th. It turns out she had Lassa fever, a deadly viral haemorrhagic disease. But that’s only discovered after the baby is discharged from hospital and taken to northern Togo. The newborn also becomes ill and is taken to hospital for treatment.
World Bank Now Relying On Capital Markets, Focuses On Fragile Countries 20/03/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment After the announcement in December of a record US$75 billion commitment to its International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group said today that this commitment was both historic in terms of value, and also a sign of a paradigm change, including the raising of funds from capital markets.
3D Printing In Africa: Huge Benefit Or Big IP Threat? 13/03/2017 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa – The five-metre tall 3D printer dwarfs four engineers in the renewable energy laboratory at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the biggest tertiary institution in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.