Near-Monopolies On HCV Diagnostics Curb Competition, Keep Prices High, Research Finds 24/10/2018 by David Branigan, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Monopoly prices of diagnostic tools and lack of competition in the market constitute a barrier to treatment for people with hepatitis C virus (HCV), but the increased use of “open” diagnostic platforms could reduce prices, a health advocacy research study has found.
US Interference In EU SPC Manufacturing Waiver “Unacceptable,” Says EU Generic Industry Group 24/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Generics industry group Medicines for Europe has declared United States interference in the European Union legislative process on the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) manufacturing waiver “unacceptable,” and an attempt to “influence the outcome of this EU legislative proposal.”
New US Law Requires Reporting Of Biologic, Biosimilar “Pay-for-Delay” Pacts 18/10/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act became effective in the United States on 10 October. Among other things, it extends to biologic and biosimilar products a 2003 law requiring drug manufacturers to notify US antitrust authorities of patent settlement agreements. The idea is to cut down on so-called “pay-for delay” tactics which can slow the introduction of cheaper medicines into the market.
WEF: US Most Competitive, But Idea Generation, Agility Will Shape Future Growth 17/10/2018 by John Zarocostas for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The generation of ideas, entrepreneurial culture, openness, and agility – by companies, policymakers, and workers – to adapt quickly and embrace change and not resist it, are factors that will have the greatest impact in driving growth and competitiveness in the years ahead in a world increasingly transformed by new, digital technologies, a report by the World Economic Forum said.
World Health Summit Berlin: New Global Action Plan; Gates And Merkel To Open Global Challenges 15/10/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BERLIN — Ten years after establishing the Berlin World Health Summit, the M8 alliance of medical institutes around the globe sees some noticeable progress in political commitment to the health agenda. “Gifts” presented at the opening ceremony yesterday in the German capital include the announcement of German Health Minister Jens Spahn to establish a Hub for Global Health and step up its financial contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) to 115 million euros over the next four years. The three-day summit also will receive a global action plan to catch up with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on health and well-being for all.
Microsoft Joins Open Invention Network In A “Nice Validation” Of Open Source Movement 12/10/2018 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Tech giant Microsoft’s 10 October announcement that it will participate in the Open Invention Network is a “nice validation” of the organisation and a pragmatic acknowledgement that the open source software community is interdependent, CEO Keith Bergelt said in an 11 October interview. Microsoft said its decision to join reflects its changing views on patent practice.
Trade Agreements Making Rules In New Technologies, Territoriality An Issue For IP In Digital Age 11/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments As new technologies have pervaded society, with more to come, policymaking has become a difficult exercise. Rules established before those game-changing technologies might be outdated. A session at the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week looked at how intellectual property rules are faring in the time of digital technologies. Speakers remarked on the role of regional trade agreements in norm-setting, and the growing issue of the territoriality of rights for copyright.
EPO Names Three New Vice-Presidents, From UK, Germany, Austria 11/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The European Patent Office today announced the appointment of three new vice-presidents, related to patent granting, legal and international affairs, and corporate services. The appointees come from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
IP Rights Increasingly Traded In New Digital Age, WTO Panel, Report Say 11/10/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The digital revolution has transformed the way trade is taking place. The share of goods like CDs, books and newspaper is dropping in terms of global trade volume, pushed down by digital goods. In that context, intellectual property rights are also increasingly traded, in particular IP licences, in what a World Trade Organization official defined as a major phenomenon. While the United States is the leader in the digital market, China took pole position in video games in 2017.
The Global Multilateral Benefit-Sharing Mechanism: Where Will Be The Bretton Woods Of The 21st Century? 05/10/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Joseph Henry Vogel writes: Bretton Woods is the name of a place and also of a system. Bretton Woods-the-place boasts the Mount Washington Hotel and majestic views of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Bretton Woods-the-system is the set of financial rules drafted during an international conference held at the hotel from 1 to 22 July 1944 [1]. The system created monetary order and allowed postwar recovery. For economists, Bretton Woods signifies the system. Its success illustrates how economic thinking can penetrate the political sphere and make lasting change. John Maynard Keynes, the Darwin of economics, led the British delegation.