Lisbon GI Revision A Hot Topic As Members Prepare For Treaty Talks 26/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A proposed amendment to the Lisbon Agreement protecting appellations of origin at the World Intellectual Property Organization is the object of heated discussions between proponents of geographical indications and countries favouring other systems such as trademarks to protect such intellectual property titles. A side event to this week’s WIPO General Assemblies gathered GI proponents to ponder the future of the agreement.
Strengthening WIPO’s Governance For The Next 50 Years: A Time For Action 26/09/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In 2017, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will mark its 50th anniversary. In the lead up to that milestone, the next three years provide a vital opportunity for Member States to update and strengthen WIPO’s governance, both to address current problems and to better equip the organisation for addressing challenges that may arise in the next 50 years, writes Carolyn Deere Birkbeck.
WIPO General Assembly Highlights Positions On Key IP Policy Issues 25/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments In the opening days of this week’s annual World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly, member governments showed a diversity of views on issues such as negotiations for possible treaties on broadcasters’ rights, design law, copyright exceptions for libraries, and protection of traditional knowledge. But one of the biggest gaps is over the future of the WIPO Development Agenda, with some countries suggesting a new course for this agenda, and proponents deeply concerned about a loss of momentum.
New WIPO Conference Hall Offers Grand Setting As Nations Gather 24/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the outset of its annual General Assembly this week, the World Intellectual Property Organization inaugurated a state-of-the-art new conference hall which has already drawn attention for its prominent position overlooking the Place des Nations in Geneva.
Interview With KIPO Commissioner Kim Young-min 22/09/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments South Korea is now considered one of the most influential countries in the IP field. Intellectual Property Watch exchanged a set of questions for Kim Young-min, commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) since 2013, speaking about KIPO’s policies for increasing international cooperation, reducing first action pendency, and preventing “bad faith” trademark applicants in Korea from making unfair profits.
WIPO Assemblies: Heavy Agenda With Potential Decisions On Normative Issues 22/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organisation member states opened this morning in a new conference hall for a 10-day marathon with many decisions to be taken on the programme of work of the organisation for the year to come, its governance, and the need to address issues left opened by several committees.
WIPO Staff Council Head Fired On Eve Of Annual Assembly; Chair Asked To Share Reports On Gurry 22/09/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization administration received a strong reaction from UN unions on Friday night when it fired the president of the UN agency’s staff association on the eve of the annual WIPO General Assembly. Meanwhile, the General Assembly chair has been called on to provide to member states the results of two confidential reports evaluating allegations made against the WIPO director general.
Numerous Side Events At WIPO General Assembly This Week 22/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A number of side events have been scheduled during the annual General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization this week. The range of events are organised by WIPO as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations working in areas such as public health, finance, copyright, geographical indications and innovation.
Is The Development Dimension Of WIPO Incompatible With Its Role Of IP Protection? 18/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization is a successful United Nations agency if success is measured by its generated income and the number of international registrations of intellectual property titles. However, in its role as a norm-setting United Nations agency, the organisation has been struggling for the past year as member countries have quite a different view on its core objectives.
Top Officials Proposed For WIPO; Tied To Director’s Term 17/09/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments After months of consideration and an application process that attracted 360 applicants, the World Intellectual Property Organization secretariat has made public its proposed names for the top posts at the UN agency for the next six years. Only four out of eight names are newcomers, and all will be tied to the term of service […]