Industry Concerned About Development Agenda At WIPO 04/11/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment At the recent World Intellectual Property Organisation General Assembly, an effort by some developing countries to increase WIPO’s orientation toward development issues met with a lobbying campaign by representatives of developed country industries that would be affected by the reform. The issue cuts across a number of industries invested in intellectual property rights, including pharmaceuticals, […]
EU Elevates Geographical Indications As Priority For Hong Kong 28/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Geographical indications (GIs) have become a political issue and a key priority for the European Union in the run-up to the December World Trade Organization ministerial in Hong Kong as GIs today officially became part of the EU’s agriculture package. As the EU proposed further cuts in its agriculture sector as part of the current […]
TRIPS Council Issues Still Alive For WTO Ministerial 28/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Trade Organization committee handling intellectual property issues finished four days of meetings with minimal progress in real terms, but kept several issues alive for the December WTO ministerial in Hong Kong. The WTO Council on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) met from 25 to 28 October. Issues still […]
Pandemic Fears Raise Questions About WTO Health Waiver Opt-Out 27/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As nations prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic, some observers are raising questions about a seemingly obscure footnote in international trade law under which dozens of governments have agreed not to import cheap generic drugs made for poor countries. The concern is that the provision could make it difficult for those developed countries to […]
US, Switzerland, Japan Launch New WTO Probe On China’s IP Enforcement 26/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The United States, Japan and Switzerland have taken bilateral actions through the World Trade Organization to probe China’s intellectual property rights enforcement, despite Chinese objections. The three nations are requesting more transparency based on Article 63.3 of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). During the 25 October TRIPS Council meeting, […]
Avian Flu Issues Could Arise At TRIPS Council Meeting 25/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Issues surrounding nations’ legal ability to obtain sufficient quantities of patented medicines to protect their people from the spread of avian influenza may be addressed at today’s meeting of the World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property rights matters. The meeting of the WTO Committee on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property […]
Indian Industry Pushing for Compulsory Licenses for Tamiflu 25/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While Swiss-based Roche, the rights holder to the most-favoured medicine for avian influenza, is pursuing sub-licenses, India is moving ahead with exploring the option of compulsory licensing. If this goes through, India would be able to export Tamiflu to developing countries and certain developed countries. The Indian Cabinet is considering issuing compulsory licenses to local […]
Official: In WTO Talks, US Pushes Russia To Restrictive TRIPS Standard 24/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Russia is negotiating for accession to the World Trade Organization at the same time it is talking with the United States bilaterally about exceeding the terms of the WTO agreement on intellectual property rights, and a senior Russian official said last week that the two have become intertwined. According to Russia’s lead negotiator on WTO […]
Roche Seeks Deals On Bird Flu Drug As Compulsory Licenses Loom 20/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Roche, the Swiss-based company with rights to a medicine believed to be the most effective in the event of an avian influenza pandemic, has expressed openness to discussing arrangements with companies or governments to produce more of its flu treatment known as Tamiflu. But sceptics argue that the offer, made on 18 October, is too […]
IP Charter With ‘Public Interest Checklist’ For Governments Launched 19/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A high-level group of legal scholars, artists, scientists and experts has launched an initiative urging governments to change the global intellectual property scheme which they argue has shifted too much toward private interests at the expense of the public. John Howkins, one of the founders of the Adelphi Charter on Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property, […]