Way Sought To Boost Developing Country Production Of Essential Medicines 26/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Participants at a recent United Nations seminar on developing country production of essential medicines agreed that such a scenario should be possible but they disagreed on the means to get there. While there was disagreement about the practicalities of certain intellectual property-related regulations (such as when and who should use […]
Developed Countries Seek To Elevate Enforcement Measures In TRIPS Council 25/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The European Union has received support from Japan, Switzerland and the United States in its push to raise enforcement of intellectual property rights higher on the agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO). On the first day of the 25-26 October meeting of the council for the WTO Agreement on […]
Novartis Persists With Challenge To Indian Patent Law Despite Adversity 19/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Following the rejection of a patent application for one of its medicines, Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has taken the “unprecedented action” of challenging India’s patent law in a high court, arguing that it is unconstitutional as well as in breach of international trade law, it said. “The filing of writ […]
People News 11/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment New Negotiators In Geneva: European Commission Expert on GIs, Indian Official on Biodiversity. Also, The World’s Top 50 IP People, new names at WIPO and the NGOs, and more. In the IP-Watch People News.
WTO TRIPS Council To Discuss Biodiversity, Enforcement, “Housekeeping” 10/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Developing countries say they will push their proposal on biodiversity and the European Union is sharply stepping up its call for enforcement, but otherwise the preliminary agenda of an upcoming World Trade Organization meeting on intellectual property seems to be reserved for “housekeeping” issues, according to sources. The meeting of […]
Public Forum Debate On WTO’s Future Touches On IP Issues 02/10/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The implementation process of global intellectual property rules was debated at a recent World Trade Organization public forum, which focused on the overall future of the organisation. According to the WTO, the 25-26 September forum drew some 1,000 participants from civil society who are not normally taking the centre stage […]
US Seeks Review Of WHO Publication Policy After Report On US Trade Deals 28/09/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A senior United States health official in Washington is urging the head of the World Health Organization to withdraw a WHO-sponsored publication that is critical of US trade policy, charging possible organisational incompetence and calling for a full review of its publication procedures. “The WHO Secretariat’s decision to publish the […]
Kenya Fights To Retain IP Flexibilities For Medicines Imports 09/08/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A second attempt in Kenya to restrict intellectual property flexibilities meant to safeguard access to medicines has most likely been defeated, largely due to opposition from an interagency task force and civil society groups, local sources said. But although key politicians have indicated that proposed changes to Kenya’s intellectual property […]
US May Remove Trade Benefits For Developing Countries 07/08/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment US Trade Representative Susan Schwab announced on 7 August a review of a key programme offering duty-free access for products exported by developing countries to the US market. The review will look at whether key trading partners still should be eligible for the benefits which are offered unilaterally by the US government. Under the Generalized […]
WTO Doha Round Suspended Indefinitely, IP Issues May Be Kept On Table 24/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After some five years of negotiations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) free-trade talks were halted today as ministers of key countries left the negotiating table. But key intellectual property issues will be kept on the table for whenever they return, sources said. Ministers of six key members – Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India, Japan […]