US Tech Groups Tell Senate: Curb US Surveillance To Restore Trust, Markets 10/09/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Leading US trade associations representing the high-technology industry yesterday issued a joint letter urging the Senate to pass reforms to US surveillance programmes. The effort comes after revelations about the US surveillance have harmed overseas markets for US technologies, they said.
UN Internet Governance Forum Sees New Challengers, From Top Down And Bottom Up 08/09/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments ISTANBUL – The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow in the end somehow reconnected the 9th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the new Internet Ungovernance Forum held in Istanbul last week. The nearly decade-old UN-led IGF initiative is facing profound new challenges as the global split widens over the future of the internet.
WHO: Fight Ebola Now, Solve Patent Issues Later 06/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The world and the global health community have been taken by surprise by the worst outbreak of Ebola so far. The World Health Organization today (5 September) said a vaccine could be available in November 2014 if proven safe. So far, according to the WHO, intellectual property issues have not acted as a barrier to accessing potential treatments and vaccines, and the focus for now is on emergency measures to find health solutions.
India’s IP Policy On Stage As Modi Heads To US 05/09/2014 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Will India’s new government bring in radical changes in the country’s intellectual property rights regime? That question has generated enormous buzz but no definitive answer ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power with a decisive mandate in May this year. [Update: the Indian government has announced that it has begun a process for a comprehensive IPR policy over the next six months, including a government think tank. See report here. The government website is here.]
Review Of WIPO Programmes, Staff: Lisbon Agreement, Global Challenges, Geographic Diversity 04/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization Program and Budget Committee is meeting this week to scrutinise the UN agency’s inner workings. At the meeting, the director general’s report on programme performance gave member countries the occasion to comment on WIPO’s various programmes. They also reviewed the annual human resources report. [Note: article corrected]
WHO Health Specialists Meeting To Evaluate Potential Ebola Therapies and Vaccines 03/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The World Health Organization this week is holding a consultation on potential Ebola therapies and vaccines.
UN Inspectors Find Need For Transparency, Changes In Governance At WIPO 28/08/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) has issued a substantive analysis of management and administration in the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. And while the report highlights significant progress in a number of areas, it offers a list of ways WIPO can do better – including on transparency and sorting out staff concerns and strengthening member state oversight.
Market Failure, Not IP, The Issue In Ebola Treatment Shortage, WHO Says 27/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Faced with the worst outbreak of Ebola since its discovery some 40 years ago, the world is scrambling for treatments. A World Health Organization-convened panel of experts has decided it is ethical to use experimental treatments. Why is there no treatment available even after 40 years? Market failure, not intellectual property rights, says the WHO.
The Politicization Of The US Patent System 25/08/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The Washington Post story, How patent reform’s fraught politics have left USPTO still without a boss (July 30), is a vivid account of how patent reform has divided the US economy, preempting a possible replacement for David Kappos who stepped down 18 months ago. The division is even bigger than portrayed. Universities have lined up en masse to oppose reform, while main street businesses that merely use technology argue for reform. Reminiscent of the partisan divide that has paralyzed US politics, this struggle crosses party lines and extends well beyond the usual inter-industry debates. Framed in terms of combating patent trolls through technical legal fixes, there lurks a broader economic concern – to what extent ordinary retailers, bank, restaurants, local banks, motels, realtors, and travel agents should bear the burden of defending against patents as a cost of doing business, writes Brian Kahin.
Analysis: Monkey In The Middle Of Selfie Copyright Dispute 20/08/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The recent case of a monkey selfie that went viral on the web raised thorny issues of ownership between a (human) photographer and Wikimedia. Two attorneys from Morrison & Foerster sort out the relevant copyright law.