Bangkok Climate Change Meeting Aims For Draft Deal For Copenhagen 28/09/2009 by Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment BANGKOK – Government officials and private stakeholders were urged Monday to strike differences from the 280 pages of negotiating text in preparing a draft that could become a global agreement on climate change in December 2009.
WIPO Approves CHF64 Million Conference Hall; Intensive Informals Held On Traditional Knowledge 25/09/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment How to handle the deadlocked negotiations on traditional knowledge remains a sticky decision at this year’s World Intellectual Property Organization General Assemblies, with four proposals on the table and informal meetings ongoing in advance of a formal discussion next week. Meanwhile, WIPO member governments this week agreed to fund a CHF64.2 million franc WIPO conference centre aimed for late 2012.
US Acts To Preserve Internet Neutrality; European Debate Heats Up 24/09/2009 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment As the United States is moving to ensure that internet (net) neutrality is preserved in that country, some are hoping other regions of the world will take notice, particularly the European Union.
Panel: IP Offices Must Be Engaged To Implement Development Agenda 23/09/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The World Intellectual Property Organization will need the help of national intellectual property offices – and need to listen to their needs as well – if Development Agenda implementation is to be effective outside of Geneva, participants on a panel said last week.
“IP Authorities” Pay Homage To PCT, Call For Action On Harmonisation, Backlog 21/09/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Improved searches and application quality and a focus on backlog reduction are necessary to improve the patent system, patent authorities concluded at a World Intellectual Property Organization symposium last week. This will require patent offices around the world to work together, and the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty, most speakers said, is the path forward for global patent coordination.
Human Rights, Multi-Stakeholder Approach Are European Priority For Internet Governance 18/09/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Stakeholders gathered this week to discuss a European approach to the governance of the internet in the lead-up to the next global forum on the issue. The second European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) took place in Geneva on 14-15 September and brought together some 200 representatives.
Antigua Company Pushes Debate On Implementing WTO TRIPS Cross-Retaliation 03/09/2009 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments A website providing unlimited music and movies for a token price is seeking to take advantage of a 2007 World Trade Organisation ruling between the Caribbean nations of Antigua and Barbuda and the United States, which granted Antigua the right to suspend some US intellectual property rights obligations. The action raises questions about implementation of cross-retaliation rulings, in which the complaining country can seek damages in a different sector than that in which the harm was incurred.
UN Climate Report Envisions Modified TRIPS As Governments Seek Progress 01/09/2009 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Scientists and bureaucrats meeting this week on climate change and weather data are struggling to move global discussion past general declarations of recognition and commitment to address environmental change. One bump under the rug at the United Nations conference is rights over environmental technologies, and a new UN report released Tuesday calls for investment and a focus on flexibilities in and possible changes to intellectual property rights rules to help developing countries access information and technologies.
Digital Library Europeana Said To Be Europe’s Answer to Google Books Settlement 28/08/2009 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Google’s settlement in the United States of copyright infringement claims by authors and book publishers faces strong opposition from European publishers. The deal does not apply to books outside the US and one Google official has suggested the need for a similar service in Europe. Could digital library Europeana be the solution? A 28 August European Commission policy statement addressed that concern and others.
India May Be Nearing Dispute Settlement With EU Over Generic Drug Seizures 28/08/2009 by Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Ongoing concerns in India that their legitimate generic drug shipments are being delayed as potential counterfeits while in transit through Europe may reach the dispute settlement body at the World Trade Organization, according to sources.