Interview with Martin Khor, South Centre 09/11/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Martin Khor, executive director of the intergovernmental South Centre on critical issues facing the global South related to intellectual property – such as climate change, and the challenge of global IP infrastructure – and what the South Centre’s plans are to address them.
IP Rights In Starting Blocks For Copenhagen, But Issue Still Uncertain 06/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BARCELONA – Weeklong climate negotiations came to an end today, and despite the assurance from most delegations that everything is still possible in the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, many issues remain in doubt. Among them are finance, emissions reduction, technology transfer, and the nature of the agreement to be built in Copenhagen.
IP Rights In A Quiet Tug-Of-War At UN Climate Change Negotiations 06/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments BARCELONA – At this week’s global climate talks, efforts are being made to trim references to intellectual property rights in relation to technology transfer from the body of a non-paper and relegate much of it to an appendix. But developing countries have asked that those measures be brought back into the main text. An updated non-paper should be issued on Friday.
Technology Debated In UNFCCC Barcelona Talks; IP To Follow 05/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BARCELONA – After only a short break from the Bangkok climate talks, some 30 days before the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, delegates are back at the negotiating table for the last stretch of intense discussions. Among the issues discussed by delegates from 181 countries, technology appears preponderant, including the way to encourage environmentally sound technology (EST) innovation, and to transfer that technology to developing countries. Meanwhile, civil society is warning of possible new technology-related risks, and the issue of emission reductions is also being hotly discussed.
UNCITRAL Negotiating IP Finance Draft Text This Week 02/11/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group VI [security interests] is meeting in Vienna this week to work on the draft annex to the Legislative Guide on Secured Transactions, which focuses on intellectual property rights.
Advocates Warn Against ‘Monsantosizing’ Of Global Food Sources 21/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food prepares to present his report today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a global appeal is being filed by farmers and environmental organisations against patents on plants and animals derived from conventional breeding.
Panel Calls For An Ethical Framework For IP And Climate Change 16/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments BANGKOK – Normal negotiation strategy is unlikely to result in an impact on climate change, since the most important stakeholders in fighting it – not yet born – have no seat at the negotiating tables, said a panel last week in Bangkok. An ethical approach is a better way to achieve results, speakers said, and an ethical take on intellectual property rights and alternative forms of innovation may have a place in new climate-friendly economic models.
Bangkok Climate Meeting Leaves Political Issues, Compulsory Licences Unresolved 12/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 7 Comments BANGKOK – Humanity may be facing the single greatest threat to its future in history, yet significant political disagreements still stand in the way of common action needed to combat what will be a common crisis. One potential blocking point appears to be whether compulsory licensing may be encouraged for poor countries needing climate technologies.
New Text Shows Delegates Must Overcome Conceptual Differences On IP, Climate 06/10/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BANGKOK – Delegates gathered in Thailand to try and pull together a slow-moving UN negotiation on a plan to fight climate change have yet to bridge fundamental conceptual differences on key issues, including intellectual property. The vast majority of consensus found so far at the two-week informal gathering has been textual rather than political, said several participants.
ITU Telecom World: Innovation, Growth, Green Technology – And Stronger Copyrights 06/10/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The 2009 edition of the United Nations telecommunications agency annual summit opened its doors yesterday, bringing together government, industry leaders, and other stakeholders in a networking effort to address global challenges in the information society. Meanwhile, the head of the UN intellectual property agency took a shot at internet service providers and the need for stronger copyright protection.