Members Concerned Over WIPO 2014/2015 Programme, Budget; New Treaties On The Way 14/07/2013 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization’s proposed programme and budget for the next biennium faced some tough questioning from the UN agency’s member states last week. Meanwhile, WIPO is anticipating a series of treaty negotiations in the next two years.
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.
Equal Innovation Seen As Critical To Economic Growth, Achievement Of UN MDGs 02/07/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch and Caitlin McGivern for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Slow and uneven economic growth was the main concern echoed by panellists participating in this morning’s high-level policy dialogue at the 2013 United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Substantive Session. Representatives from various intergovernmental agencies shared their perspectives on the status of the global economy with respect to innovation and the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
WHO Issues Guidelines To Push HIV Epidemic Into “Irreversible Decline” 30/06/2013 by Brittany Ngo for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new recommendations that call for earlier HIV treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART) in an effort to keep HIV patients healthier for a longer period of time.
In Aftermath Of Treaty Adoption, Civil Society, Industry Reflect On Outcome 28/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hours after the adoption of the World Intellectual Property Organization Marrakesh treaty expected to facilitate access to special format books for visually impaired people, a range of stakeholders gathered for a stocktaking exercise on the treaty.
South Africa A Leader In Renewable Energy, Lagging In IP Rights 24/06/2013 by Linda Daniels for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Leader of the newly formed Renewables Club and rated as a world leader in the green energy race, South Africa has done little to secure this advantage with intellectual property rights of its own.
WIPO Negotiators Reach Breakthrough On “3-Step Test” In Treaty For Blind 24/06/2013 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments Marrakesh, Morocco – A breakthrough was reached over the weekend in the World Intellectual Property Organization negotiations to provide more access to visually impaired people, according to participating sources. Agreement appears to have been struck on the controversial issue of restrictions to the exceptions to copyright that the treaty is proposing to establish.
WIPO Economics Working Paper On Mobility Of Inventors 21/06/2013 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Central American, Caribbean, and African economies have the most “inventor brain drain” in relation to the number of home country inventors, according to a recent working paper released by the World Intellectual Property Organization. Data for the study included information on inventor nationality and residence available in Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications.