Switzerland Urges Immediate Search For New WIPO Director General 05/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New Switzerland, in its role as host country of the World Intellectual Property Organization, this week issued a call for an immediate search for a new leader of the organisation in order to address concerns of mismanagement and lack of credibility. In an unusually blunt press statement, the Swiss government expressed dissatisfaction with […]
WIPO Assembly Ends In Deadlock Over Budget, Director General 04/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New The annual General Assemblies of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization ended in a stalemate Wednesday with no approval of a new budget or proposed cuts in patent fees and no decision on the fate of embattled Director General Kamil Idris, according to early reports from some participants. “It was a catastrophe,” […]
Debate On Director General Reaches Breaking Point 02/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New Governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization on Tuesday appeared to be near a breaking point on the effort by developed countries to discuss possible improprieties and mismanagement by the WIPO director general and their effort to get him to resign. The issue has clouded the entire 24 September to 3 October […]
WIPO Group On DG At Impasse As Idris Defence Challenged 28/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A special panel of member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization appears to have reached impasse on its mandate this week of examining reports on possible wrongdoing involving the WIPO director general. The group, formed after key members called for the WIPO head to step down, has been working in an atmosphere of accusations […]
WIPO Calls For “A Regular and Fair Procedure, Please” 28/09/2007 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments By André Heitz, director of the WIPO Coordination Office in Brussels As widely reported on this site, there are strong moves to push Mr. Kamil Idris out of his position of Director General, this against the background of various allegations of wrongdoings and abuse. By requesting the inclusion of an agenda item phrased “WIPO Internal […]
WIPO Assembly Strikes Short-Term Deal On Director General Issue 25/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By William New The member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization on Tuesday reached an agreement on how to address concerns raised about Director General Kamil Idris during this week’s annual General Assembly. According to participants, a broad agreement was struck to set up a “Friends of the Chair” group on the issue. The […]
High-Level Group Debates Idris Issue As WIPO Assails Charges 24/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By William New The annual General Assemblies of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization member states snagged the first day on a proposed agenda to discuss potential wrongdoing by the WIPO director general. By day’s end, a high-level group formed earlier in the day to address the issue was continuing closed-door negotiations. Among those in […]
Pressures High On Eve Of WIPO General Assembly; DG Under Fire 20/09/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By William New Tensions are high at the World Intellectual Property Organization leading up to the annual General Assemblies next week with member states discussing the fate of the WIPO director general, who developed country member states claim has lost the ability to govern the organisation. Other issues under debate include budget overruns and surpluses […]
Accueil timide pour le document de négociation de l’OMS sur la PI 16/08/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Le nouveau document de négociation de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) élaboré en vue du dernier cycle de ce qui est devenu un intense processus d’analyse de l’innovation médicale et de la propriété intellectuelle restreint son champ d’action à environ douze maladies mais reste très ouvert en ce qui […]
WHO Draft Negotiating Text On IP Cautiously Received 08/08/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new draft negotiating document for the final round of what has become an intense process of analysing medicines innovation and intellectual property narrows the focus to about a dozen diseases but is wide-ranging on policy options, seemingly encompassing all proposals. In early reactions, some criticised […]