Free Trade Agreements Should Promote Generic Competition, Speakers Say At WTO 04/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The emphasis placed on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property for medicines in trade negotiations is ignoring the distorting effects of this emphasis, such as the lack of competition incentives which are key to reduce medicines prices, speakers on a panel of generic drug industries said at the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week.
External Offices, WIPO Normative Work At Heart Of General Assemblies 03/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The decision-making bodies of the World Intellectual Property Organization are meeting this week with the hope of advancing discussions of pending potential treaties to protect broadcasting organisations, and simplifying the international applications for industrial designs. Meanwhile, Director General Francis Gurry opened the annual WIPO General Assemblies with a look at the past year and challenges for the future.
Panel At WTO Discusses Competition Policy And Why It Matters To Trade 02/10/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Competition policy has evolved along with globalization and trade in past years. Now there are challenges such as the growth in international trade transactions and rapidly increasing cross-border mergers and antitrust cases. In parallel, the proliferation of competition policies and system has created potential of conflict of jurisdiction. Experts on competition and trade policies came together during the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week to discuss what the WTO can do and how better coordination between the competition policy and trade policy can be achieved to support growth and inclusiveness.
US Supreme Court To Decide If USPTO Refusal To Register Trademarks Breaches Free Speech 30/09/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The US Supreme Court agreed on 29 September to take up the question of whether the Lanham Act, which allows the US Patent and Trademark Office to refuse to register disparaging trademarks, conflicts with the First Amendment right to free speech.
Clinical Trial Reporting Biased; Full Disclosure, Transparency Needed, Speakers Say 30/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A conference on clinical drug trials held today shed a harsh light on the availability and honesty of clinical trial reports. Many factors concur to possible distortion of results, speakers said, calling for more stringent obligations to provide all data for analysis. They also noted legislative efforts to tackle the issue. Speakers also pointed out a growing trend for pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials in developing countries.
UN Panel Report On Access To Medicines Seen As Holding Potential For Change 29/09/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment NEW YORK – Speakers at a side event to the United Nations General Assembly last week commended a new report on access to medicines prepared by a high-level panel hand-chosen by the UN secretary general as containing fresh ideas and the potential to bring change to a longstanding problem.
US Supreme Court To Examine Outsized Infringement Damages 28/09/2016 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Patent infringers are supposed to pay damages, but the award in this case struck many as ridiculous. Some Samsung smartphones contained one or two purely decorative design elements that had been patented by Apple. But instead of paying modest damages for what many see as a tiny infringement, Samsung was ordered to pay $399 million – all the profits the company had made from its infringing phones. The Federal Circuit said it had no choice but to approve those damages; it was constrained by statute. Critics, however, said that the Federal Circuit had misinterpreted the statute. They fret the court’s error will unleash a wave of design patent infringement suits that will harm innovation, stifle competition, and empower patent trolls. Which is why so many will be paying close attention on 11 October, when this dispute comes before the US Supreme Court.
Regional Trade Agreements Address Issues Missed By Multilateralism, Speakers Say 28/09/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Although regional trade agreements are increasing, there is no hiding the fact that they are meeting rising resistance from the public and are difficult to negotiate. At the World Trade Organization Public Forum this week, an industry panel sought to explore how trade agreements could be linked to the WTO process, and if elements of those agreements could be taken on at the multilateral level.
WEF On Competitiveness: Openness In Decline, Push In Innovation, Tech Needed 28/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The world is seeing a decline in openness in economies, the World Economic Forum said in its new Global Competitiveness Report 2016 – 2017. But WEF sees an increased role for technology, innovation and business sophistication. And the most competitive nation in the world? Switzerland again.
Panel On The Right To Scientific Progress And Freedom For Scientific Research 23/09/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Scientists, national and United Nations representatives, academia and civil society this week explored and elaborated on the right to enjoy scientific progress and the freedom which is indispensable for scientific research. The right was placed in the context of today’s global challenges and scientists presented the latest examples of their research, in which human rights related to freedom of scientific research could be applied. The panel set out promote systematic dialogue to foster an understanding of the right and of what is being advanced.