IP-Watch In Podcast On Patent Trolls + IP And Development 05/01/2011 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual Property Watch Director and Editor-in-Chief William New recently participated in a podcast discussing IP and development, particularly at WIPO, and the latest on patent trolls around the world.
Patent On AIDS Medicine Denied In India; Seen Unlocking Market 04/01/2011 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A decision by the Indian Patent Office to reject a patent on an AIDS drug last week has drawn acclaim from civil society and Indian generic pharmaceutical industries. The decision was not based on a controversial article of Indian law aimed at preventing patent extensions but rather on the grounds of non-inventiveness. Abbott Laboratories, meanwhile, presented Intellectual Property Watch with justification for its Indian patent request.
Obama Urged to Sign ‘Anti-Troll’ Patent Bill 21/12/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment President Obama is being pushed to sign into a law a bill passed by the United States Congress that would create six pilot programmes nationwide aimed at increasing expertise among district court judges in dealing with patents. Proponents consider the bill help against non-producing, patent owning companies that make a business of suing to defend the patents they own.
Some Processes For Plant Production Banned From Patentability In Europe 10/12/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The European Patent Office Enlarged Board of Appeal yesterday gave its decision on the so-called “broccoli” and “tomato” cases, and excluded “essentially biological processes for the production of plans (or animals)” from patentability.
Patent System Mainly Serves Select Developed Country Industries, Study Says 02/12/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The global patent system is intended to promote innovation and increase growth, but this might not always be the case, as it might only serve industries relying heavily on patents in advanced economies, according to a study on patents and manufacturing industries presented at the World Intellectual Property Organization this week.
Sharing US Drug Patents with Neglected Patients: A Scientist’s View 05/11/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment “Instead of re-hashing old debates about patents, patients and profits, forward-looking pharmaceutical executives should consider new ways of ensuring that medicines reach all patients who need them,” writes John Erickson, one of the researchers who discovered the HIV medicine recently licensed by the National Institutes of Health to the Medicines Patent Pool.
Climate-Ready Crop Patents Present Danger For Biodiversity, Group Says 26/10/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments NAGOYA, JAPAN – A civil society group this week warned government officials gathered here against patents on “climate-ready” crops and what they characterised as an attempt to obtain an exclusive monopoly over plant gene sequences. The group asked states at the United Nations biodiversity conference to recognise that such patents are a threat to biodiversity and to the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources.
Medicines Patent Pool Seeks Business Director 19/10/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Medicines Patent Pool, recently established with the support of drug-purchasing mechanism UNITAID, is searching for a new business director to manage relationships with current and potential new licensors and licensees of medicine-related patents. The business development director will help the Medicines Patent Pool general counsel in negotiating licensing arrangements, and is also responsible for […]
WIPO Returns To Substantive Patent Law Talks After 5 Years, With Balance 16/10/2010 by William New and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization today agreed on the first work programme for the committee on patent law in nearly five years. The delicate accord, reached after a long week of mostly closed negotiations, was quickly hailed by some as reflecting a new reality for the international patent system with stronger recognition of emerging economies’ interests.
WIPO Patent Committee Chair’s Text Shows Possible Future Work 15/10/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The chair of World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) today circulated a text reflecting possible elements of future work for the committee. The text, which is now the subject of informal discussions, includes key parts of proposals put forward earlier in the week.