Indian Industry Pushing for Compulsory Licenses for Tamiflu 25/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While Swiss-based Roche, the rights holder to the most-favoured medicine for avian influenza, is pursuing sub-licenses, India is moving ahead with exploring the option of compulsory licensing. If this goes through, India would be able to export Tamiflu to developing countries and certain developed countries. The Indian Cabinet is considering issuing compulsory licenses to local […]
Roche Seeks Deals On Bird Flu Drug As Compulsory Licenses Loom 20/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Roche, the Swiss-based company with rights to a medicine believed to be the most effective in the event of an avian influenza pandemic, has expressed openness to discussing arrangements with companies or governments to produce more of its flu treatment known as Tamiflu. But sceptics argue that the offer, made on 18 October, is too […]
US ‘Pulls Out All Stops’ As UNESCO Backs Culture Treaty 17/10/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Paris—The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) today approved a treaty for the protection of cultural diversity despite an all-out drive by the United States to get governments to change their minds. “We really pulled out all the stops” in the past week to try to change the outcome of this treaty, a US […]
Business Leaders Cite IP Protection In Urging Progress In WTO Negotiations 17/10/2005 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment An ad hoc, high-level global business leaders’ group that was in Geneva last week to push World Trade Organization negotiators to move forward on free-trade talks highlighted the importance of intellectual property rights protection. But the group stopped short of calling for sanctions against countries they consider to be in violation of those rights. At […]
IP Critical As Rocky US-Andean Trade Talks Resume 17/10/2005 by Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch Washington, DC—With negotiators set to resume work this week, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador are resisting demands by the United States for patent protections that go beyond those enshrined in international trade law in talks toward a U.S.-Andean free trade agreement continuing this fall. At the international level, trade-related […]
Interview With WIPO Deputy Director General Rita Hayes 10/10/2005 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Member governments of the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation at their 26 September to 5 October General Assemblies agreed on a way to proceed with negotiations for a treaty on broadcasters’ rights. They will prepare a “basic proposal,” or draft negotiating text, during 2006 with an eye toward holding a high-level negotiation, known as a […]
U.S. Patent Reform Effort Narrowed in Congress; Could Resurface In Supreme Court 29/09/2005 by Sarah Stirland for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Sarah Lai Stirland for Intellectual Property Watch A wall of opposition from the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and independent inventor communities this year gutted some of the most controversial provisions from an ambitious patent reform bill introduced in July in the U.S. House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress. But one of the […]
WIPO’s Future Work, Past Credibility On Table At General Assemblies 26/09/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The top officials of the World Intellectual Property Organisation member states this week gather for their annual meeting facing an unusual number of critical issues for the U.N. body, several of which involve the credibility of the organisation itself. The issues before the WIPO General Assemblies, which range from global patent harmonisation sought by its […]
Push For IP Deals Continues In Lead-Up To WTO Ministerial 09/08/2005 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Issues under negotiation at the World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property issues are somewhat stalled, despite – or because of – their ties to broader issues being negotiated at the WTO, sources in Geneva say. It remains to be seen which, if any, intellectual property-related issues end up being negotiated at the December […]
Industry, Non-Profits Advise Negotiators On WIPO Development Agenda 26/07/2005 by Allison A. Meyer for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Non-profit and industry organisations last week offered a wide range of views on the incorporation of a development agenda into the work of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Their views came as WIPO member governments debated greater participation of civil society in its activities. Statements by civil society groups were heard on the final two […]