Faced With Unreasonable Medicines Prices, The Netherlands Introduces Pharmacy Exemption In Patent Law 22/02/2019 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Ellen ‘t Hoen writes: On 1 February 2019, article 53(3), second sentence of the Dutch Patent Act 1995 came into force introducing a patent exemption for the preparation of medicines in a pharmacy.
California Startup Brainbase Building Breakthrough Online IP Licensing Platform 19/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Brainbase, a California tech startup with a team in Estonia, has received US$1M in seed funding to build an “end-to-end product ecosystem for intellectual property licensing” that could change the way businesses manage and licence their brands worldwide. The investment is an indication of dynamic evolution in the IP sector as it takes advantage of latest technologies and the talents of innovators.
EU Members Adopt Plan To Make Europe A Leader In Artificial Intelligence 19/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Council of member states has adopted an all-encompassing plan to make Europe a global leader in artificial intelligence and integrate AI into all aspects of regional life. The plan, which comes as Europe has been identified as lagging in AI research and investment behind the United States and China, includes strong calls to ramp up investment while carefully considering AI’s impact on labour and ethics.
ASEAN IP Offices Discuss Regional Trademark System 18/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The national intellectual property offices of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this week advanced work on developing a regional trademark registration system, according to European Union sources working with them.
Agreement On SPC Manufacturing Waiver Reached, Benefitting EU Generic, Biosimilar Industry 14/02/2019 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Council reached a political agreement today on the SPC Manufacturing Waiver, which will allow the manufacture of generic and biosimilar medicines in the European Union for export and stockpiling during the period of extended patent protection provided for by the EU. This waiver will enable EU generic and biosimilar industries to benefit from sales outside the EU where patents have already expired, and to prepare to provide the EU market as soon as the extended period of patent protection ends.
South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill Still Moving 14/02/2019 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Copyright law stakeholders and pundits are keeping a close watch on the progress of South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill, as it makes its way to the National Council of Provinces in Parliament this week for further deliberation.
EU Copyright Rules: Provisional Deal Struck On Changes 13/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The European Council’s Romanian presidency announced today it has struck a provisional agreement with the EU Parliament on a draft directive that makes changes to existing European Union copyright rules. The draft agreement, which will go before the full Council of member states and Parliament for approval, would make changes such as a controversial new “publishers’ right,” and strengthens copyright protections on online content sharing platforms. It also would introduce copyright exceptions for a range of purposes such as text and data mining, online teaching, and cultural heritage.
‘No More Paying For The Rich World’s Medicine’ – White House 13/02/2019 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The Trump administration yesterday made some firm statements about reducing health care and drug prices for American consumers and making costs more transparent. The statements again appear to focus on other countries paying more for US-made drugs but also promote generic drugs.
Malaysia Still Under Pressure To Make Hepatitis C Medicine More Expensive 13/02/2019 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The government of Malaysia continues to face pressure from the United States pharmaceutical industry and potentially the US government to undo an action taken to make a key hepatitis C medicine more affordable in the country. Now Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) has weighed in to defend the government’s right to use a patent flexibility in global trade law that allows them to take such actions on behalf of their citizens.
Women On The Rise In Patent Filings, But Still Underutilised Potential, USPTO Says 12/02/2019 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released a report on 11 February showing an increase in US patents that include at least one woman inventor from 7 percent in the 1980s to 21 percent by 2016. This is still a “small minority” of patented inventors, the report finds, and suggests that it indicates an “underutilisation” of women’s innovative potential.