In-Depth Interview With WIPO Director General Francis Gurry 28/10/2008 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Francis Gurry became the fourth director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization on 1 October. Gurry, an Australian, is a 23-year veteran of WIPO, most recently deputy director general in charge patents, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre and global IP issues. His full biography is here. Intellectual Property Watch sat down with Gurry in his office this month to ask about changes at the organisation and the future of the IP system, differences from predecessors, development, open source, and his personal management style.
Improbable Match: Open Licences And Collecting Societies In Europe 28/10/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Catherine Saez A French musical group has signed a contract with French collecting society Sacem allowing the exclusion of the group’s internet rights that some claim opens a door to a new model where authors could manage their internet rights while the collecting society administers all other rights related to the use of the […]
Blind Readers Seek Guarantee Of Access Under EU Copyright Law 27/10/2008 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch BRUSSELS – Exceptions to European Union copyright rules designed to allow blind people access to publications should be made legally binding, according to disability rights organisations. In July, the European Commission opened a public consultation exercise on whether a central piece of EU law on intellectual property needs […]
New Arab Group Aims At Protecting Local Products With Geographical Origins 27/10/2008 by Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch In a bid to harness the significant value of geographical indications to the economies of the 22 member states of the Arab League, an Arab Society for Geographical Indications (ASGI) has been proposed. This was announced by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, president of the private-sector Arab Society for Intellectual Property […]
Panel: WTO Cross-Retaliation Could Bring Compliance But Political Pressure High 24/10/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Catherine Saez Inducing compliance, after a favourable ruling of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body, from countries which breached international trade rules can prove difficult, especially for developing countries. For many of them, retaliation in a trade sector unrelated to the one affected by the violation of WTO rules may be the only viable option, although the major obstacles are not legal but political, according to speakers at a roundtable held on Friday in Geneva.
TRIPS May Evolve To Keep Pace With Modern IP Concerns 24/10/2008 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Dugie Standeford and Kaitlin Mara The World Trade Organization Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS) is being “recalibrated” as developing and developed countries challenge old assumptions, Vanderbilt University law professor Daniel Gervais said this week. The first international accord to link intellectual property and trade has entered its third “narrative,” in which […]
Indigenous People Seek Recognition At WIPO Meeting On Their Rights 23/10/2008 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Kaitlin Mara Indigenous groups are looking for better representation at the United Nations body negotiating on issues related to the protection of their traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. At the World Intellectual Property Organization last week, indigenous groups, member states, and interested non-governmental organisations came together for the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property […]
Le Comité de l’OMPI sur les savoirs traditionnels et le folklore ne parvient pas à trouver d’accord 23/10/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Par Kaitlin Mara Vendredi dernier, en fin de soirée, ce sont des représentants gouvernementaux épuisés qui ont dû admettre que les négociations internationales relatives aux savoirs traditionnels et au folklore qui se sont déroulées à l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) étaient dans l’impasse. « Nous n’avons pas trouvé d’accord », a déclaré le […]
No hay acuerdo en las negociaciones del Comité de la OMPI sobre conocimientos tradicionales y folclore 23/10/2008 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por Kaitlin Mara Tarde en la noche del viernes, los para entonces cansados funcionarios gubernamentales tuvieron que admitir que habían llegado a un punto muerto en las negociaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual sobre la protección internacional de los conocimientos tradicionales y el folclore. “No hubo acuerdo”, afirmó a la salida de […]
WIPO DG Francis Gurry Speaks On His Plans 22/10/2008 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Videocast: Intellectual Property Watch sat down with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s new director general, Francis Gurry, to discuss his plans for the organisation. The appointment of Gurry was widely hailed by supporters as a positive change, and a way to get WIPO back to its original mandate of managing a complex international intellectual property […]