WIPO Copyright Meeting Postponed To December 13/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) that was scheduled for late July has been postponed until December.
“Trilateral” Symposium Addresses Topics Of Global Public Health And IP 10/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The themes of innovation, collaboration, and policy coherence shared the spotlight during panel discussions at the 5 July technical symposium on Medical Innovation: Changing Business Models. The event was jointly hosted by the World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, and World Trade Organization.
WIPO Seeks To Open New Offices Around The World 09/07/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The UN World Intellectual Property Organization is proposing to open five new regional offices around the world next year, with more envisioned in the future. In a move it says is in response to requests from its members, WIPO aims to open offices in China, Russia, the United States and two in unnamed African countries. And doing so will help defend the global intellectual property system from cyber attacks by the likes of Anonymous, it says.
WHO, WTO, WIPO Heads Call For More Medical Innovation 08/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The leaders of three top international organisations in Geneva last week discussed synergies in public health and called for increased collaboration and creativity to move medical innovation out of its quagmire of inefficiency. The opening session was marked by the head of the World Health Organization urging stakeholders to develop mechanisms to separate drug prices from costs of research and development. And the head of the GAVI Alliance, in the keynote address, discussed how patent thickets could impede access to vaccines.
WIPO Innovation Division On Chopping Block? 04/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Several years ago, the World Intellectual Property Organization set up an “Innovation Division”, headed by US patent lawyers, including a top Silicon Valley attorney and a top lawyer for a giant non-practising entity (“patent troll”). WIPO has been rather secretive about it, offering no interviews to Intellectual Property Watch with the officials heading the division despite repeated requests. Now a letter from US industry groups raises concern that the division may be headed for a budget cut that would effectively eliminate it.
Global Innovation Index: Most Innovative Keep Top Spots 01/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch and Caitlin McGivern for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Innovation is a main focus of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) substantive session taking place in Geneva this week. Today, at the ECOSOC opening session, the 2013 Global Innovation Index (GII) was launched, which ranked Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States as the top five most innovative countries in the world.
How The Main Issues Of The Marrakesh Treaty For The Blind Were Solved In The Nick Of Time 01/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments It is no secret that the negotiations were arduous leading up to the Marrakesh treaty on exceptions and limitations to copyright for the blind, to the point where there were doubts halfway through the 17-28 June diplomatic conference that consensus could be reached. Unanimous credit was given to the facilitator of informal discussions between parties, Martin Moscoso, director of the Copyright Office of Peru (INDECOPI). During the week, tensions were high, as some contentious issues were still unresolved. Intellectual Property Watch asked Moscoso what tipped the balance between a text with a large number of open issues to a clean text with no brackets.
Over 50 Countries Sign Marrakesh Treaty On Copyright Exceptions And Limitations For The Blind 01/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 6 Comments Marrakesh, Morocco – The 28 June signing of the new international treaty to improve access to published materials for the visually impaired brought relief to the beneficiaries and satisfaction to delegations. But some underlined the need to sign and ratify the new treaty.
UN Economic And Social Council To Address IP’s Role In Innovation, Tech 28/06/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The annual four-week session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a key coordinating body responsible for 70 per cent of spending across the UN system, opens next week with high-level political figures addressing intellectual property rights and innovation.
Stevie Wonder In Marrakesh: Today Is A Very Good Day, Now Go Ratify The Treaty! 28/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Marrakesh, Morocco – True to what he said in a 21 June video message, world-famous blind songwriter and performer Stevie Wonder kept his promise to come to Marrakesh if delegates agreed on a treaty to improve access to published material for blind people.