Summit: Artificial Intelligence Is Humanity-Changing, Build Safeguards Now 07/06/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment For artificial intelligence enthusiasts, the future is bright. Soon intelligent machines will help humankind solve most problems, and according to one speaker at an artificial intelligence summit in Geneva this week, humans will be outsmarted by robots in the foreseeable future, in an artificial intelligence bliss. For others, artificial intelligence is far from delivering a fully positive outcome, and for several United Nations representatives, such as the World Health Organization, the world should not be entrusted to robots just yet.
Security, Privacy, Trust Remain Challenges For The Internet Of Things 07/06/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It is “amazing” what can be done via the internet and the Internet of Things is a “game changer,” a speaker said during the Internet of Things Week currently taking place in Geneva. Ninety percent of the data in the world has been created in the last two years. And the speed of data creation is still increasing, another speaker said.
IP And The Public Interest Premieres At WTO TRIPS Council Next Week 07/06/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment It has become a tradition at the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property to have an agenda item on intellectual property and innovation, and next week’s meeting is no exception. More noticeable on the agenda of the committee next week is an item on intellectual property and the public interest that addresses compulsory licensing.
Polypills: Are Miracle Treatments Being Overlooked? 05/06/2017 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), a group of conditions that can result in heart attacks and strokes, is the world’s number one killer, accounting for one-third of deaths throughout the world, according to research released recently (17 May) by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
World Health Assembly Adopts Resolution Supporting Tax On Tobacco, Alcohol, Sugar 02/06/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases are killing millions of people each year, making noncommunicable diseases the leading global cause of human deaths, many of them premature. This week, the World Health Assembly endorsed an updated set of policy options for countries to help them with the prevention and control of those diseases. On the list is a suggestion for tax increases on tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, and the reduction of salt intake. Supported by many countries, it was resisted by the United States and Italy.
A Summary Of Key IP-Related Actions Taken By The 70th World Health Assembly 31/05/2017 by Catherine Saez and Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment After what was described as the biggest World Health Assembly ever, with the highest number of agenda items and the highest attendance, it seemed that all’s well that ends well at the closing ceremony earlier today. A notable fact during this assembly has been the rising volume of voices from developing countries, joined by developed countries on issues related to access to affordable, safe, and efficacious medicines. Resolutions and decisions were adopted, many with hopes of better addressing challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, cancer, substandard and falsified medical products, medicines access and shortages and more.
WHO Asked To Square Its Position On Herbicide; EU Evaluation Seen As Flawed 31/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Does glyphosate, better known under its brand name RoundUp, increase the risk of cancer in humans, or not? Yesterday, some World Health Organization members, while hailing a draft resolution on cancer later adopted, underlined a lack of coordination on glysophate between the WHO and its agency for cancer research. Separately, a renowned scientist sent a letter to European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, saying the evaluations on the herbicide are flawed, and should be done again to safeguard public health.
Resolution On Cancer Hailed By WHO Members, Easily Adopted In Committee 31/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment It is not a mystery, cancer has been spreading for decades, in particular in low and-middle income countries, and is not stopping its course in the foreseeable future. Members of the World Health Organization in committee yesterday adopted a resolution to improve prevention, diagnostics, treatment, and palliative care for cancer, in statements stripped of controversy.
WHA Committee Bans IP Reference In Substandard And Falsified Medicines 30/05/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The “delicious acronym SSFFC” – as described by Marie-Paule Kieny, assistant director-general for Health Systems and Innovation at the World Health Organization – will no longer be used by WHO to describe substandard and fake medical products, when a committee’s decision is adopted by the full World Health Assembly tomorrow. And key to this decision is that protection of intellectual property rights is not a competence of the UN health agency.
World Health Assembly Adopts Resolution To Fight Sepsis; Antimicrobial Resistance Major Threat 26/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments Antimicrobial resistance is a growing health concern as was acknowledged by countries at the World Health Assembly this week, and a resolution was adopted to fight sepsis, which is a life-threatening blood stream infection for which there is growing resistance.