US Files WTO Case Against China For Violations Of Global Patent Rules 26/03/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It has been considered for years that China has not been as strong as developed country trading partners in protecting intellectual property rights. Now, as China gains ground in building its own patent war chest, it has received a World Trade Organization challenge from the top patent-filing nation in the world, arguing that China’s treatment of foreign companies’ IP rights is unfavourable and its policies violate international trade rules.
UN Member States Briefed On Innovation And Access To Health Technologies 14/03/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK — A major event on innovation and access to health technologies took place at the United Nations in New York last week, in which UN member states were briefed on ideas and efforts to promote these issues at the forefront of global health policy.
A Look At The Role Of Governments, Universities, Science In Health Innovation & Access 05/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual property rights, particularly patents, are considered by some as being a barrier in access to medicines despite being a stimulus for innovation. At a recent symposium co-organised by the World Health Organization, World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization, speakers also talked about the role of science, governments, and universities in health innovation and access, and how to address challenges such as secondary patents.
Medicines Vastly Overpriced, Generics Too: Discussion At WTO-WIPO-WHO Symposium 02/03/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The price of hepatitis C medicine marked a turning point in the discussion on access to medicines, with developed countries suddenly confronted to prices they could not afford. This week, a symposium jointly organised by the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization explored the question of the pricing of medicines. A number of suggestions were made to alleviate the issue, such as ensuring wide use of generic medicines, encouraging competition, and alerting countries about the cost of medicine production so they negotiate better with pharmaceutical companies.
WTO TRIPS Council Looks At IP And The Public Interest, Importance Of Research Exemption 28/02/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A relatively new topic of discussion at the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property is the relationship between intellectual property and the public interest. This week, WTO delegates discussed the application and benefits of a regulatory exception to IP rights allowing earlier entry of generics to the market, known as the Bolar exception. The committee also heard about a request from least-developed countries (LDCs) to improve technology transfer measures that developed countries have the obligation to provide under WTO rules.
WTO TRIPS Council: For Some, IP-Intensive Industries Are Engine Of Economy. For Others, IP Alone Is Not Sufficient 28/02/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property met this week and gave an opportunity to WTO members to discuss the value of intellectual property for micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), and its importance for IP-intensive industries. Several members, such as the European Union on behalf of its members presented data to illustrate the importance of IP for MSMEs. Meanwhile, India and South Africa remarked that IP is only one factor to promote innovation, but are not a sufficient ingredient.
WTO, WHO, WIPO Heads Share Views On Innovation And Access At Trilateral Symposium 27/02/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment How to encourage health innovations and make sure that new medicines, vaccines, or diagnostics will reach every person who needs them? That is a question which has been hotly debated in different fora. Yesterday, the World Trade Organization, UN World Health Organization, and UN World Intellectual Property Organization jointly held a symposium on how innovative technologies can promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The WHO director general called on his colleagues to support policies facilitating access to health technologies.
Swiss Panel Looks At Value-Based Drug Pricing, Link Between R&D And Prices 26/02/2018 by Catherine Saez and William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Some products are too cheap, generic drug companies do not invest in them because they do not make enough money out of them. Others seem astronomically expensive, and are said to include the costs of all research, successes and failures alike. Panellists at a recent Swiss-organised expert event in Bern concurred that something must done about pricing, and explored some surprising ways to do it.
Least Developed Countries Ask For Better Implementation Of TRIPS Tech Transfer Requirements 23/02/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization council on intellectual property rights will hold the first of its three annual meetings next week. The now-usual item on IP and innovation is joined by a discussion topic on IP and the public interest. Separately, the WTO least developed countries group has put forward a request that developed countries fully implement their technology transfer requirements under the WTO rules. The council meeting will be preceded by a high-level trilateral meeting of the WTO, World Health Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization.
US 2019 Budget Proposal Shows Stable Funding For WIPO, WTO, WHO, ITU 19/02/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment While the Trump administration has taken aim overall at US contributions to international organisations since taking office last year, the budget proposal it put forward last week would roughly maintain last year’s lower levels for a range of Geneva-based agencies without making further cuts. Others did not fare as well.