Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Did US Move Threaten Public Health? 12/07/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Civil society groups say a leaked document from regional free trade negotiations between countries bordering the Pacific Ocean shows the United States favouring giant pharmaceutical companies at the expense of public health. Separately, the tobacco industry is allegedly also trying to push for a clause to prevent plain packaging.
Amending Canada’s Access To Medicines Regime (CAMR): The New Fate Of Bill C-393 28/06/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments A Canadian bill to improve global access to medicines might get another shot in the new Parliament, writes Daniele Dionisio.
Plain Packaging For Tobacco Raises IPR Questions At WTO 16/06/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments At the last session of the World Trade Organization Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council, the Dominican Republic challenged an Australian draft law requiring plain packaging for tobacco products as being incompatible with its WTO obligations, eclipsing other agenda items. The TRIPS Council also addressed other regular agenda items such as related to biodiversity and public health, according to sources.
Proposed EU Customs Regulation May Not Dispel Fear Of Wrongful Drug Seizures 31/05/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Commission has issued a new draft customs regulation that it says addresses past concerns over wrongful seizures of generic drug shipments transiting through European ports. But the new regulation does not substantively change existing rules, it said, and civil society groups say it does not go far enough. The EU regulation is the subject of a World Trade Organization dispute settlement case.
EU Makes Push To Facilitate Geographical Indications In ACP Countries 16/05/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A European Union-backed project organised a conference at the World Trade Organization last week to rally Africa to the cause of geographical indications.
New Reports On TRIPS And Tech Transfer, LDC Needs 14/05/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Two new reports circulated in Geneva this week examine ways to improve technology transfer to least-developed countries (LDCs) as mandated under international intellectual property trade rules, and assessments of the intellectual property needs of LDCs in recent years.
ACTA Still Open To Interpretation, Legal Experts Say; Transparency Fight Ongoing 10/05/2011 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is open for interpretation, perhaps too much so, legal experts on both sites of the Atlantic are warning.
UNCTAD: Bundle Of Opportunities To Improve Medicines Access In LDCs 09/05/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Access to essential medicines in least developed countries (LDCs) could be facilitated through local production, according to a report released today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Trading’s End: Is ACTA The Leading Edge Of A Protectionist Wave? 06/05/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments Government policymakers are stalling on trade liberalization while erecting new nontransparent trade barriers, writes Frederick Abbott.
TRIPS Amendments Needed To Restore Balance In IP, Researchers Say 06/05/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Current global intellectual property obligations are seen by some as favouring rights holders to the detriment of the public interest, and a series of amendments to international rules on trade and IP could address this, says a new book from a respected European think tank.