New Year Brings New Faces To IP World, Bids Others Farewell 08/01/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The New Year brings some new faces in the intellectual property world as several changes were announced at the end of 2015, in particular at the European Commission, in the private sector and non-governmental organisations. In Geneva, the coordination of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries changes, and the UN Plant Treaty is working on intersessional committees. And a leading light in the IP publishing world has retired.
UN Initiative On Access To Medicines Calls For Contributions 07/01/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations Secretary-General’s newly formed High Level Panel on Access to Medicines launched a call for contributions by stakeholders at the end of December, in an effort it says could transform millions of lives.
Zimbabwe Plans Open Access Policy, Part Of Efforts Across Africa 06/01/2016 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Zimbabwe has kicked off a new project to support adoption of research data management and sharing services among government, universities and research institutions as part of its plans to pave the way for a nationwide open access mandate. Meanwhile, similar efforts are appearing across Africa.
University Students Energise Global Campaign For Medical R&D Agreement 05/01/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The force of hundreds of students worldwide has gathered behind an international effort urging governments to promote research and development in a way that does not result in high-priced medicines. The initiative led by Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) seeks to address the longstanding gap in affordable medicines and puts the focus on the World Health Organization, whose members are currently working on this issue.
WIPO Survey Seeks Public Input On UN Agency’s Development Agenda 24/12/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Interested observers have a unique opportunity until mid-January to give their views on the landmark 2007 World Intellectual Property Organization Development Agenda, including its implementation, relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency in use of resources, and its sustainability.
EU Trade Secrets Deal Wins Wary Support from Industry, Free Speech Advocates 22/12/2015 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Industry and public interest groups have welcomed the provisional deal by the European Parliament and EU Council on protection of business know-how and trade secrets but say some of its provisions, particularly on protection of whistleblowers who disclose corporate information, remain troublesome.
Brazil, Australia Ratify Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired, Seven To Go 17/12/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Last week, the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty which is expected to facilitate access to special format works for blind and visually impaired people gained two more ratifications, bringing the accession to the treaty to 13. The treaty will enter into force three months after the accession of the 20th member.
Exceptions To Copyright To Remain On Agenda Of WIPO Copyright Committee 17/12/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Copyright exceptions for libraries, archives, educational and research institutions and persons with disabilities other than visual impairment will remain on the agenda of the next session of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee. The subject is touchy as developing countries deem those exceptions vital for development and developed countries say that the current global copyright framework leaves enough space for national exceptions to copyright.
WSIS+10: Roles, Responsibilities Remain Hot; Cybersecurity Treaty Demanded By Many States 16/12/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Between a lot of applause this week for the first post-WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) decade and especially for the negotiated agreement for the coming 10 years, some cracks appeared. These tell how differently regions still view roles and responsibilities for critical infrastructure management, and also the discrepancy between declaration and deployment of principles of the information society. In a notable statement, Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation, warned that governments still have to learn how to govern the connected.
Alongside WTO Ministerial, Officials Stress Gains On TRIPS And Health 16/12/2015 by Fredrick Nzwili for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments NAIROBI, Kenya — On the sidelines of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Summit this week in Nairobi, senior officials from the Kenya government, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), civil society and others discussed a WTO intellectual property rights amendment on public health to better enable poor nations to access essential medicines.