New Classification Scheme For Clean Energy Patents To Facilitate Technology Transfer 02/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Technology transfer is essential to the mitigation of climate change but empirical data on the subject is scarce, according to panellists at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting. An initiative has been launched by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) to identify potential barriers to the transfer of clean technologies. Preliminary outcomes of the project were presented yesterday. One of those outcomes is a new classification scheme.
Lisbon Treaty Updates EU; New Commissioners Named 02/12/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments On 1 December, the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, bringing a variety of changes across the European Union. Also this week, a new administrative cabinet has been named to represent the European Commission for the next five years, along with some changes in the structure of the EU administrative body.
Outdated Multilateral Trade System Challenged By Climate Change, Regionalisation, Speakers Say 01/12/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Climate change measures might impact competitiveness and the multilateral trade system in its current form might not be equipped to address the issue, according to speakers at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting today. At the same time, regional trade agreements might constitute free electrons in the multilateral trade system, obeying to their own rules, said speakers at other sessions of the event.
Biodiversity Negotiations Need To Allow For Flexibility In Business, Industry Says 25/11/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Aspects of a legally-binding international agreement on access and benefit-sharing under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity may harm business interests and also fail to reach its objectives of protecting and preserving biodiversity, said members of a panel of industry representatives in Geneva yesterday. Some also expressed doubt about the likelihood of the access and benefit sharing regime meeting its deadline of having full agreement by its October meeting next year in Nagoya, Japan.
Les délégués espèrent trouver un consensus sur la coordination du Plan d’action pour le développement en avril 25/11/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Lors de négociations informelles tenues vendredi dernier dans la matinée, le Comité du développement et de la propriété intellectuelle semble s’être approché d’un consensus sur le mécanisme de coordination du Plan d’action pour le développement. Cependant, l’après-midi même, les gouvernements ont été incapables de surmonter les divergences qui subsistaient.
Bilski Decision Likely To Narrow Patentable Subject Matter In US, Panel Says 24/11/2009 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For years, the United States has taken an expansive position on the types of inventions that are patentable. Software, medical tests, and business methods – for example – have all been granted patents. But that is likely to change when the US Supreme Court hands down its decision in Bilski v. Kappos, according to most members of a 19 November panel, Patentable Subject Matter After the Bilski Oral Argument, hosted by American University Law School and the Federal Circuit Bar Association.
UN Biodiversity Negotiators To Work From Single Text On Access, Benefits 24/11/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For the first time in its history, a working group tasked with negotiating an international regime for access to genetic resources and the sharing of related benefits under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has agreed on a single negotiating text. But participants in the process say the text, while a comprehensive compilation of all divergent views on the regime, still has a way to go before becoming a consensus document.
One (Almost) Happy Multi-stakeholder Family At The Annual Internet Governance Forum 24/11/2009 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment If you don’t count China, it was difficult to find people speaking against an extension of the non-decision-making Internet Governance Forum (IGF) of the United Nations at last week’s gathering. An overwhelming majority of the 1,800 participants at the Egyptian tourist destination Sharm El Sheikh seemed to be in favour of the “multi-stakeholder” discussions taking place during the IGF events because they allow for better understanding on overarching issues like human rights and privacy or access problems in developing countries, but also the specialised problems with the internet infrastructure like internationalised domain names and the next generation internet, IPv6.
Ecuador To Define Its Compulsory Licence Legislation 23/11/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Since Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa signed a decree on 23 October allowing compulsory licences, the national intellectual property office has been working on a mechanism for issuance those licences, which should be studied case by case, according to the national decree.
Library Of Alexandria A Symbol Of Egypt’s Efforts To Lead On Knowledge Access 16/11/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments ALEXANDRIA – Dining on fresh fish beneath a golden sunset overlooking the Mediterranean beneath which lie the remains of the ancient Library of Alexandria, the conversation turns to the invention of written language. A light-hearted debate breaks out between an Egyptian and a Syrian over the origins of the first alphabet several thousand years ago, but is left for the time being when the Syrian asserts, “We invented the alphabet, you invented writing.”