WIPO Committee Adopts New Development Projects, Agrees Future Work, Stumbles On Technical Assistance 18/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization committee members last week agreed some new development projects and advanced discussions on the agency’s development dimension, including technical assistance, technology transfer and ties to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But negotiators could not complete a near-breakthrough on compromise measures to sharpen WIPO technical assistance through new guidelines, seminars, measurement tools, coordination, and tighter rules on selection of consultants.
WIPO Members Flirt With Agreement On WIPO Technical Assistance 15/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Technical assistance provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the United Nations agency’s technology transfer-related activities were discussed at length by WIPO member governments this week. At press time on the final day of a weeklong meeting, an updated proposal by Spain appeared to be bringing members nearer consensus on the way forward on WIPO technical assistance.
WIPO Scrutinised For Development Dimension, Involvement In UN Panel On Medicines 13/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments New text-based government efforts to recommend to the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly which committees should report on their development activities have been unsuccessful so far this week. Separately, WIPO was asked by members to provide information on its involvement with the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines, and responded that it is in a delicate situation.
Ideologies Fly In Discussion Of WIPO Pharma Report Calling For Less Ideology 13/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A study commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Organization to analyse which essential medicines on the 2013 World Health Organization Essential Medicines List were under patent found that over 90 percent of medicines on the list were off patent, and advocated more transparency in patent information. The study’s release set off an outcry among public health advocates who viewed the report as biased toward pharmaceutical companies.
Member States Seek Details Of UN Investigation On Alleged Misconduct At WIPO 12/04/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments A longstanding inquiry about alleged misconduct at the top of the World Intellectual Property Organization may be moving toward resolution one way or the other.
Landmark WIPO Conference On IP And Development Kicks Off 08/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The role of intellectual property in economic, social and cultural development is at the heart of an international conference organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization this week. Today, a diverse range of speakers gave their views on the relationship between IP and innovation and creativity, with some describing in specific examples how IP helped their developing economies. Many speakers insisted on the need for developing countries to have policy space to define an IP system best suited to their development needs.
South African Trade Minister Opens WIPO Conference With Call For Appropriate IP 07/04/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A two-day international conference on intellectual property and development opened today at the World Intellectual Property Organization with calls from speakers for the IP system to be applied by nations in ways appropriate to their economies, even if it means allowing copying – just as the biggest IP-holding nations did when they were developing years ago. The theme was set by the opening keynote speaker, South African Trade Minister Rob Davies.
IP Valuation For Universities, Patent Flexibilities On Tap At WIPO 07/04/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) meets next week with a focus on how universities and research institutions can best derive value from their discoveries. Also on the agenda are proposed projects and several documents mapping WIPO development-related activities, such as South-South cooperation. And the action kicks off this week with a wide-ranging conference on IP and development at WIPO.
Internet Domain Name Expansion Pushes Dispute Resolution Cases Up At WIPO 18/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization has released data on disputes between trademark owners and third parties who are registering new domain names with the original brand name. Disputes are on the rise and the proportion relating to new generic top-level domain names is growing, it found. Fashion and banking are the prominent areas for disputes.
Asia On The Heels Of US And Europe In Patent Applications At WIPO; Developing Countries Lagging 16/03/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment China, Japan and South Korea are among the top five countries filing international patent applications at the World Intellectual Property Organization, while the United States continues to lead in patent and trademark applications. Far behind, developing countries seem to be having a hard time catching up.