Innovation Hubs, Green Technology Transfer On Agenda Of TRIPS Council 06/06/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee will meet next week with some new issues on the agenda. Ecuador has requested the continuance of a discussion on the transfer of green technologies, and Taiwan and the United States have proposed an agenda item on innovation incubators.
Shifting Sands In The Global IP Community 05/06/2014 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Just as the world of international intellectual property law and policy is ever-changing, so are the faces within it. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a new deputy director in Silicon Valley veteran Michelle Lee, who has been acting as director. Many changes occurred at the US Trade Representative’s office, including the naming of a top tech industry lobbyist as deputy USTR, the return to Geneva of a key US figure at the WTO, and the defection of a top IP negotiator to the copyright industry.
IP-Watch Subscribers – Updated List Of IP Delegates In Geneva 13/05/2014 by Julia Fraser for Intellectual Property Watch and Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Geneva IP delegates list is updated! As a special feature for our subscribers, Intellectual Property Watch has assembled a new list of many of the leading government delegates working on intellectual property issues in Geneva.
Book Analyses Moral Dimensions Of Intellectual Property Rights 12/05/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A recent book, “The Moral Dimensions of Intellectual Property Rights,” by Seven Ang of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, explores the philosophical implications of moral terms included in IP rights statutes.
A Brief Overview Of Current IP Issues At The WTO 05/05/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property issues may not be at the top of the post-Bali negotiations at the World Trade Organization, but there are many IP-related issues going on at the WTO. Below is an overview of some current and possible IP-related issues at the WTO.
Antigua Questions Efficacy Of WTO Dispute System Over IP-Related Case 26/04/2014 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Can the World Trade Organization’s smallest members use the dispute settlement system effectively? That is a question that seemed to be suggested by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda at a WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting yesterday, in an intellectual property-related case involving a United States gambling ban.
WTO To Consider Five Australia Plain Packaging Disputes Under One Panel 26/04/2014 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday agreed to establish two more panels in a dispute against Australia’s plain packaging for tobacco products, bringing the total to five. And it was agreed that a single panel will be appointed to study the five complaints.
20 Years Of TRIPS: Max Planck Launches Declaration On Patent Protection 16/04/2014 by Maëli Astruc for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition has launched a Declaration on Patent Protection with the aim to “clarify some of the regulatory options states still retain under international law, in particular the TRIPS Agreement,” which turns 20 years old this year.
East African Community Moves To Harmonise IP Rights Regulation 11/04/2014 by Hillary Muheebwa for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments KAMPALA – As the East African Community nears full revival, a bloc market covering five countries with a population of about 145 million people has emerged. But the member countries face another challenge: they have different levels of intellectual property rights protection.
Global Fund And Tiered Medicines Pricing Under Debate 07/04/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has launched an initiative with other agencies aimed at expanding global access to health products such as medicines. But the Fund has had some explaining to do about the initiative, which some say could encompass a plan to allow different prices based on national income levels.