Inertia Slows Evolution For Open Scientists 10/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments It is still a long way to a new generation of “open scientists”, German open data researcher Christian Heise found out in his just-published PhD thesis. Heise not only investigated drivers and barriers for what he expects to be an evolution from open access to open science by theory and a survey of over 1100 scientists. He tried the concept open science the hard way, opening up the writing of his thesis paper on the net.
Amendment To The Polish Reimbursement Act For Medical Devices: Challenges For The Market 10/03/2017 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Polish Ministry of Health has commenced consultations on an amendment to the act on reimbursements for drugs, foods intended for particular nutritional uses and medical devices. This bill envisions an entirely new system of refunds (full and partial), fixed maximum prices and fixed maximum margins for medical devices based partly on HTA, similar to the system currently in place for pharmaceuticals. The current wording leads one to believe that gradually all groups of medical devices could be introduced into this system. If the amendment is passed in the current shape, it has the potential to transform the medical devices market in Poland.
EC Copyright Reform Proposal Encounters Resistance In European Parliament 09/03/2017 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment European Commission plans to modernise copyright rules have run into opposition in European Parliament committees, with lawmakers particularly pushing back against the proposal for a publishers’ right to licence snippets of news content.
EPO Sees Highest Patent Filings Ever; Chinese Applications Still Rising 07/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Patent Office published its 2016 annual report today, showing an “unprecedented level of patent filings,” and underlining the growing number of patent applications from China. The top technical fields for applications included medical technology, digital communication, and pharmaceuticals.
Legal Swords Sharpened In Kenya-Manchester Cancer Drug Rights Dispute 07/03/2017 by Maina Waruru for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NAIROBI, Kenya — A dispute between Kenyan researchers and the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, over ownership of a cancer discovered after successful clinical trials in Kenya finally seems headed to courts.
First Access To Vaccines Index Published 06/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An “Access to Vaccines Index” was released today in the Netherlands that claims to “reveal the first landscape of vaccine company actions to improve immunisation coverage.”
A Review Of ‘Standard Essential Patents Within Global Networks – An Emerging Economies Perspective’ By Dieter Ernst 06/03/2017 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Roya Ghafele, OxFirst – Dieter Ernst’s study is one of the few, if not the only one, to thoroughly examine the role, function and effects of Standard Essential Patents from a developing country’s perspective. As such, the study is a refreshing read, given that the discourse on Standard Essential Patents and the FRAND (fair reasonable and non-discriminatory) regime is pretty much driven from a developed country’s point of view.
Global Fund Names Interim Executive Director Starting In June 04/03/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Board of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has named Marijke Wijnroks of the Netherlands as interim executive director starting on 1 June until a new director can be selected. The international health financing facility this week decided to restart its director search from scratch after questions arose with the final two candidates to replace current Executive Director Mark Dybul, who will return to the United States at the end of his four-year term on 31 May.
Switzerland Next In Line To Gamble With Net Blocking 03/03/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The Swiss Parliament this week adopted new legislation to regulate offline and online gambling by limiting it to a fixed number of Swiss-based operators only. While heavily criticised by opponents inside and outside the Parliament in Bern, the main goal was to harvest revenue streams for the general public and enforce a number of obligation. A number of opponents in the Parliament sided with activists in their call for caution against the ‘slippery slope’ of net filtering. A look at other countries illustrates that filtering on an IP or domain name basis is on the rise.
Unauthorised Streaming Of TV Broadcasts Breaches Copyright, EU High Court Rules 02/03/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Internet television broadcasting service TVCatchup (TVC) may not offer live streams of free-to-air TV broadcasts without permission, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) said in a 1 March judgment.