Bird Flu Pandemic Priority For WHO Board As Nations Scramble For Supplies 24/01/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Pandemic influenza preparedness figures prominently on the agenda of the World Health Organisation’s board meeting this week, and countries are still deeply concerned about the lack of supply, according to sources. One of them is Egypt. A domestic media debate erupted after it became known that the country has only been supplied with some 1,000 […]
Benefit To LDC Manufacturers From Roche HIV/AIDS Offer Unclear 20/01/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has launched a new initiative under which it says it will offer manufacturers in least developed countries technical assistance in producing generic HIV/AIDS medicines, but it is unclear how many companies will be able to benefit from the project. There could be as few as five manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa that […]
Peru Attempts Strong WTO Position On Disclosure Despite Weaker US Deal 17/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen and William New Hong Kong – Peru appears to be taking a strong position in World Trade Organization negotiations in favour of the disclosure of origin of genetic material and traditional knowledge in patent applications despite having agreed to weaker terms in a bilateral trade deal with the United States […]
CBD Issues Subject Of Tough Negotiations At WTO 16/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong–Countries pushing for the launch of negotiations on the protection of biodiversity and traditional knowledge have been engaged in tough talks at the World Trade Organization ministerial in Hong Kong today. The countries, led by India and Brazil, are working to get language on the issue included in the text expected at the conclusion […]
India, Brazil Tie Biodiversity Negotiations To Doha Development Package 15/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Hong Kong – At the World Trade Organization ministerial here, India has proposed the launch of negotiations on the disclosure of origin of material in patent applications, and says that if this issue is not addressed, there will be no development package in the outcome of the current round of trade talks at the WTO. […]
TRIPS Public Health Amendment Questioned; China Implements Decision 14/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong–China’s recent decision to implement World Trade Organization rules making it easier for poor countries to import cheaper medicines was discussed at a non-governmental organisation meeting at the Hong Kong ministerial today, as questions swirled around the recent decision by WTO members to an amendment establishing these rules. On 29 November China issued an […]
Experts Debate IP Issues As Hong Kong WTO Ministerial Opens 13/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Hong Kong — The sixth World Trade Organization ministerial officially opened in Hong Kong today and although intellectual property issues have not surfaced on the formal agenda so far, they were discussed in some of the many side events taking place at the conference site. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its relationship with […]
Monthly News In Brief 13/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment WHO Paper Examines TRIPS Flexibilities The final version of a study entitled “The use of flexibilities in TRIPS by developing countries: can they promote access to medicines?” is now available online at: http://who.int/intellectualproperty/studies/TRIPS_flexibilities/en/index.html The study was conducted by Sisule Musungu of the South Centre and Cecilia Oh of the World Health Organisation, and commissioned by […]
Se insta a los negociadores en Hong Kong a progresar en cuestiones de ADPIC 13/12/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment En el proyecto de texto de la próxima reunión ministerial de la Organización Mundial del Comercio, que se celebrará en Hong Kong entre el 13 y el 18 de diciembre, se insta a los negociadores a intensificar las deliberaciones sobre las cuestiones relativas al Acuerdo de la OMC sobre los Aspectos de los Derechos de […]
US-Peru Deal Includes First-Ever Traditional Knowledge Provisions 09/12/2005 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch Washington, DC-In a bilateral free-trade agreement struck this week with Peru, the United States for the first time agreed to language relating to traditional knowledge, according to a Peruvian government source. The language, which appears in a side letter to the overall agreement, apparently stresses the importance of […]