Special Report: Geneva, Public Health Capital Of The World 30/08/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment International public health in Geneva is no longer just the province of the World Health Organization. Dozens of intergovernmental and non-governmental agencies, along with financing organisations and partnerships, have headquartered their operations in Geneva, making the mid-sized Swiss city a public health capital of the world. Many of these organisations are engaged in addressing the critical interface between public health, development and innovation, including intellectual property rights. The following is a backgrounder and guide to many of the organisations working on these issues in town.
Rights Holders Launch Initiative To Protect Content In Africa 26/08/2010 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Foreign content producers and broadcasters hope the soon-to-be-launched Africa Media Rights Watch will help convince the region’s regulators and consumers alike to increase respect for copyright.
The Future Of Biotechnology Patents In The European Union 17/08/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A recent Court of Justice of the European Union opinion in Monsanto Technology LLC v. Cefetra BV et al. may unintentionally inflict serious economic harm on the European biotechnology industry, argue industry attorneys Richard Peet, Vid Mohan-Ram, and Philippe Vlaemminck.
Experts, Policymakers Debate Solutions For Counterfeit Products 30/07/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A group of policymakers and other experts met this month in Geneva to discuss counterfeit and unsafe products and wrestled with possible balanced solutions to the problem. The event was hosted by the United States mission and supported by the US Chamber of Commerce. It included US Ambassador to the UN Betty E. King, among dozens of others.
US Jobs Bill Would Restrict Foreign Access To Patent Applications 28/07/2010 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment As the jobless rate remain high and budgets tight, United States policymakers increasingly are looking for ways to boost domestic innovation in order to create new jobs and boost the economy. One such bill to be announced tomorrow, called the “Strategic Manufacturing & Job Repatriation Act” aims to develop a national manufacturing strategy to create American jobs, including by lowering access to early patent applications and prioritising university patents.
The Great Firewall of China: When Does Online Censorship Violate WTO Rules? 28/07/2010 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments China’s government says it is acting in the best interests of its citizens. It is regulating the internet in order to protect its people from pornography and other objectionable content. Critics, however, assert that China is guilty of wide-ranging censorship, drastically limiting what mainland residents can see, hear and say online. Moreover, according to a growing chorus, this online censorship violates World Trade Organization rules.
Global AIDS Conference Sees Pledge Of Access, Call For Funding; IP Rights Discussed 28/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The global AIDS community meeting in Vienna last week ended with renewed determination to fight the epidemic but underlined an urgent need for increased funding to sustain scientific advances and universal access. Some warned against an intellectual property rights enforcement push threatening global access in particular through bilateral and regional trade agreements.
The WHO’s Complex Path On Counterfeiting, R&D Financing, Pandemics 27/07/2010 by Emma Broster for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Health Organisation is following a complicated timeline for new mandates on combating fake medicines, creating alternative financing mechanisms for research and development on neglected diseases, and improving pandemic influenza preparedness.
WIPO Sees First Real Progress In 10 Years On Text For Protection Of Folklore 26/07/2010 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments Experts meeting last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization made the first real strides in over a decade at developing a concrete rules to protect the cultural expressions and folklore of indigenous and local communities.
Consensus On Binding Biodiversity Agreement Elusive, To Reconvene in September 20/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A last-chance negotiation of a draft protocol text on biodiversity access and benefit-sharing has been given yet another chance as delegates parted ways on Friday in Montreal without an agreement but with a tentative plan to reconvene to try to tie it up before a major UN Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in October.