WTO Discussions On Biodiversity Intensify As Differences Remain 16/03/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property issues related to biodiversity were the topic of two different sessions at the World Trade Organization on 15 March with minimal progress, according to participants. But the second session, consultations with a senior WTO official, seemed to sharpen the focus of the debate, they said. During the morning, the formal Council of the […]
New Submissions Feed CBD Debate At TRIPS Council Meeting 15/03/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the two-day meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) council responsible for intellectual property rights, discussions first focused on two new submissions on issues related to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). The relationship between the CBD and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) was on the agenda of […]
Full Agenda For WTO TRIPS Council Next Week 08/03/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization committee addressing intellectual property will face a full range of issues when it convenes for the first of three scheduled meetings this year. The 14-15 March meeting of the Council on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) will tackle issues that have been tied to the larger […]
Groups Decry Impact Of IP And Health Terms In US Trade Agreements 03/03/2006 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Public health activists are condemning recent terms agreed to by Colombia, Peru and Central American countries in bilateral trade negotiations with the United States, that bind those countries to offer patent protections that exceed standards in multilateral agreements. The groups now are hoping for a […]
Biotech Industry Fights Disclosure In Patents On Three IP Policy Fronts 02/03/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For the coming months, key biotechnology industry organisations are focusing their efforts on blocking the addition of disclosure of origin requirements in international patent applications on three fronts. The issue is being debated in three international fora: the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Industry is mustering […]
Consultations On Geographical Indications Aim To Structure Discussions At WTO 27/02/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Informal consultations were held at the World Trade Organization on 24 February on how to structure negotiations over the coming months on a proposed register for geographical indications (GIs) on wines and spirits, a participant said. The register is scheduled to be discussed at a special session of the WTO Council on the Agreement on […]
WTO Paper Summarises Discussion On Biological Diversity Convention 20/02/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization secretariat has issued a new paper on the relationship between WTO rules on intellectual property rights and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The 78-page paper, which reflects the past eight years of discussion on the issue at the WTO, is now available on the WTO website. The paper is an […]
USTR Clarifies Demand For Details On China’s IPR Enforcement Cases 25/01/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has clarified the legal basis for its insistence that China provide the details of numerous judicial cases involving the enforcement of intellectual property rights from 2001 through 2004. The clarifications are contained in a 20 January letter (obtained by Intellectual Property Watch) from Peter Allgeier, US ambassador […]
Hong Kong Ministerial Ends With Little Overall Progress; Limited Focus On IP 18/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong–Trade ministers of the World Trade Organization members concluded a six-day intensive negotiation with little progress on the biggest issues, and minimal work on intellectual property issues. The final ministerial declaration adopted at the end of the meeting on 18 December contained no changes in terms of intellectual property issues from the meeting’s second […]
Latest WTO Ministerial Draft Urges Discussions On IP Issues To Intensify, Adds Review Date 18/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong–The latest draft text from the World Trade Organization ministerial released today urges consultations on certain key intellectual property rights issues “to intensify” and adds a date for reviews of progress. The text is an update of a draft issued at the ongoing WTO ministerial in Hong Kong during the afternoon of 17 December […]