Proposed Rules On Public Research In South Africa Stir Debate 04/06/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 11 Comments Draft rules on intellectual property rights in publicly financed research are stirring significant debate in South Africa between those who say the rules may stifle innovation, breach WHO commitments and be unconstitutional, and others who say concerns are overblown and the measures are needed to boost the country’s economy.
US Bill Would Prohibit Generics Delay 04/06/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The practice of brand name companies paying generic manufacturers to delay the entry of lower-priced generics into the market could become illegal, if a bill before the United States House of Representatives passes. The bill (available here [pdf]) is “to prohibit brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of […]
Advice To Obama On Global Health: Open Access 28/05/2009 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment With US health resources, a “wide gap remains between what can be done with existing knowledge and what is actually being done” says a new report by the National Academies Institute of Medicine, which is meant to advise the Obama administration’s health policy. Some activities that it said need more attention involve intellectual property rights. […]
WIPO To Create Deputy Directors For Global Issues, Trademarks 28/05/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization is expected this month to create a new deputy director general for global challenges, and will raise trademarks to the DDG level while moving copyright responsibility back to the assistant director general level, according to sources at WIPO. The appointments have not been finalised and consultations may be continuing.
Pandemic Flu A Top Focus Of Health Assembly, But IP Issues Unresolved 19/05/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the world looks to the World Health Assembly for a plan of action in case of pandemic, delegates are negotiating remaining parts of a framework for pandemic influenza preparedness, and an associated model agreement for the movement of virus and vaccine-related materials. A procedural agreement might come as early as Tuesday afternoon, but it remains to be seen whether agreement can be reached on how to handle uncompleted work.
WHO Members Fail To Finish Pandemic Flu Preparations 18/05/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A series of meetings intended to set out a global framework for dealing with a potential pandemic completed its last session Saturday night with progress made but several essential issues still uncompleted.
Experts Aim To Balance Intellectual Property Rights And Human Rights 15/05/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch and James Leonard for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United Nations human rights framework is being brought to bear on intellectual property law, in the hopes that the weight of expert voices in human rights can lead IP regimes toward a better balance between the needs of industry and the needs of public policy.
Content Industry Still Seeks Digital Model As Enforcement Focus Persists 15/05/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the continued absence of a new model that adequately includes them, major global media groups remain concerned over revenues lost to unauthorised file-sharing decades after the arrival of the internet, and their focus is still on enforcement and extension of their rights.
WHO Meeting On Pandemic Flu Reconvenes Under Pressure 15/05/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As cases of swine flu in humans pile up and fears that a more serious outbreak could occur in the future, member states, drug manufacturers and public health advocates gather Friday and Saturday to see if they can come up with a way to facilitate sharing of both viruses and vaccine related materials. Intellectual property laws are a key point of contention at the reconvened meeting.
WTO’s Lamy Continues Engagement On Intellectual Property Issues 14/05/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy continues to be engaged on intellectual property issues as WTO members begin to revive broader trade negotiations. This week Lamy hosted the heads of the World Intellectual Property Organization and World Health Organization together, and then chaired a consultation with ambassadors on proposals to amend WTO rules on intellectual property and trade.