The Significance Of Uruguay’s Win Over Philip Morris International 21/07/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments The tobacco industry’s global efforts to use bilateral and multilateral agreements to challenge the spread of tobacco control measures such as trademark-minimising plain packages were dealt a significant blow last week when the World Bank dispute settlement body dismissed a case brought by Philip Morris against the government of Uruguay. The decision is seen a landmark for those who view the company as using test cases to continually challenge and delay public health protection measures and discourage other countries, particularly those with fewer resources, from strengthening their health regulations. Additionally, the case reasserted that trademarks are subject to government regulations and also illustrated the role that international organisations and actors can play in support of national governments defending their health measures.
Blockstream’s New Patent Strategy: Trust Us, We Won’t Sue You 21/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Blockstream, which developed the blockchain technology and bitcoin, has announced a defensive patent strategy. The crux of it: assurance that users of its technology won’t be sued.
US Justice Department Nails Three In Mass Mailing Trademark Scam 20/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A Wells Fargo bank manager in California worked with two colleagues to conduct a scam targeting trademark holders and launder the proceeds, the United States Department of Justice said today.
AIDS Conference: Will The UN High-Level Panel Report Deliver R&D And Access To Medicines? 20/07/2016 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment DURBAN, South Africa – The lessons derived from the history of AIDS treatment have become a rallying call for civil society organisations globally. Not being able to afford AIDS medicines should not be repeated for people with other diseases, including HIV co-infections, treatment activists told world leaders here.
UK Government Called To Action To Further Boost IP Enforcement 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Kingdom-based Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) industry group launched a “manifesto” earlier this month, calling on the government to establish a more effective and comprehensive response to intellectual property crime.
EU Anti-Counterfeiting Rapid Intelligence System: One Database For All Data On IPR Infringement 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission Trade Directorate recently launched a new intellectual property enforcement tool that aims to pool together all data relating to IP rights infringement experienced by EU companies into one database to help build prevention strategies. This is one of many new EU initiatives to counter growing IPR infringement and counterfeits.
CISAC: 90 Years In The Service Of Authors And Composers 19/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the world’s leading network of authors’ societies, has published a book looking back at its 90 years in existence. The CISAC Story – 90 Years in the Service of Authors and Creators Worldwide, was distributed in three languages at the Confederation’s General Assembly last month in Paris.
UNCTAD Conference Opens With High-Level Calls For Action On Trade And Development 18/07/2016 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NAIROBI, Kenya (IP-Watch) – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 14th Session opened here yesterday, with leaders calling for deeper and broader cooperation between trade and development.
TTIP Negotiators Need Many More Nights To Negotiate – And Are Planning Just That 15/07/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Top negotiators of the European Union and United States today underlined after the 14th round of negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that they are still on track for finalising the deal during the outgoing Obama administration. At the same time, they acknowledged that after three years of negotiations some chapters have never been discussed.
Orphan Drugs Finding Home In Markets: Could Be 20% Of All Sales By 2020 15/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Worldwide sales for orphan drugs are forecast to reach $178 billion by 2020, according to a recent industry report. Moreover, the orphan drug market is expected to grow almost 12 percent per year, a level the broader pharmaceutical market “could only dream about” with its expected annual growth of 5.9 percent, according to Lisa Urquhart, editor of EvaluatePharma Vantage.