Reactions To Treaty On Plant Genetic Resources For Food And Agriculture 02/08/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has been the subject of various comments this week.
What Does WTO Extension For LDCs To Enforce IP Mean For Pharmaceuticals? 02/08/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The recent extension granted by World Trade Organization members to least developed countries giving 8 more years to implement international intellectual property protection rules threw a shroud of confusion over a parallel WTO waiver for pharmaceutical products conferred on least developed countries until 2016. In an attempt to shed some light on the issue, several experts were asked for their reflections on the consequences of the new extension.
IP And Public Health, Biotech Rise As Issues In TPP Negotiations 30/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Intellectual property and the issues of biotechnology and public health are rising concerns for stakeholders to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement negotiations.
Motorola vs. Microsoft And The Future Of FRAND 29/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments Andrew Updegrove discusses the handing down by Justice James Robart of a 207-page opinion in a closely-watched dispute between Motorola and Microsoft, involving several patents that Google later acquired (along with the rights under the lawsuit) when it purchased Motorola Mobility. In that opinion, Robart sought to determine what, under all relevant circumstances, Google could fairly and reasonably charge Microsoft to infringe upon the essential claims in question when (for example) it builds and sells an Xbox.
Concerns Raised Over Potential Threat of Investment Agreements 25/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Investor agreements, included in many bilateral investment treaties (BITs), are a source of growing concern for many national governments. These agreements essentially leave countries vulnerable to litigation by individual firms, rather than other countries, as is the case in traditional World Trade Organization disputes.
WIPO Talks On Future Of TK, Genetic Resources, Folklore Intensify 24/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization committee members have laid out options for establishing an instrument or instruments to protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Now they are working to choose among them.
WIPO Committee To Decide Fate Of Treaties To Protect TK, Genetic Resources, Folklore 23/07/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Intellectual Property Organization committee members will decide by tomorrow whether to recommend WIPO move to final high-level negotiations on the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore.
WHO Members Meet This Week On Poor Quality Medicines 22/07/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Health Organization members are meeting this week to advance the new international mechanism against substandard and counterfeit medicines.
Transitions In The Global IP Community 17/07/2013 by Kelly Burke for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Just as the world of international intellectual property law and policy is ever-changing, so are the faces within it. Below you will find an updated list of the latest people news and IP moves across international organisations, national and regional governments, nonprofit organisations, and the private sector, from the first half of this year.
Micro Entity Status For Universities And AIA Rulemaking On Power Of Attorney 15/07/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The authors write: “The US Patent and Trademark Office recently introduced a discounted “micro entity” rate on official fees for qualifying universities. Unfortunately, recent changes in the USPTO’s rules on applicants and powers of attorney hinders a qualifying university from benefiting from the micro entity discount. Here, we explain how the rules on micro entity status, applicants, and powers of attorney conflict with each other and offer suggestions for taking advantage of the micro entity discount without running afoul of the rule changes.”