Between Quick Wins And Long Roads Ahead On Antimicrobial Resistance 26/10/2016 by Alexandra Nightingale for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Raising awareness, creating effective stewardship, national action plans on antimicrobial resistance, building trust and getting onto the agenda of the G20 are critical to fostering access and appropriate use of antibiotics, according to speakers at yesterday’s joint technical symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Antimicrobial Resistance Should Not Overshadow Broader Issue Of Access To Medicines, Some Say 26/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment While the issue of antimicrobial resistance has arrived in high-level discussions, and there is a consensus that the problem must be tackled one way or another to avoid slipping back into a pre-antibiotic era, some voices are highlighting the need to remember that other health issues remain unmet, and access to medicines is still an acute problem.
Farm-Saved Seeds Sow Discord; Breeders, Users, Seek Clear Definition At UPOV 25/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment When a harvested material from a protected plant variety, such as seeds, is used for further sowing and cultivating, royalties need to be paid to the breeder of this protected variety. However, according to breeders, farm-saved seeds are sometimes used as an excuse to avoid paying royalties, and clear definitions should be established internationally. Conversely, small farmer associations think that once farmers buy a protected variety, they should be able to re-use those seeds, exchange or sell them. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) organised a Seminar [pdf] on Propagating and Harvested Material in the Context of the UPOV Convention on 24 October.
From Personality To Property: Data Protection Needs Competition & Consumer Protection Law, Conference Says 25/10/2016 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment MUNICH — Will personal data become a property right licensed to those who give you the best deal for it? Researchers at a conference convened by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich delved into a future “holistic approach” of intellectual property, data and consumer protection, with additional assistance from competition law.
US High Court Puts Unreasonable Delay On Trial 21/10/2016 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment On its face, the case is a humdrum, procedural dispute about a patentee’s delay in filing an infringement suit. But if the Supreme Court rules the way most experts expect, the decision will significantly enhance the power of patent trolls and others alleging patent infringement, and it will harm many companies doing business in the US – especially companies in the tech sector. Much hangs in the balance on 1 November, when the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in SCA Hygiene Products AG v. First Quality Baby Products, LLC.
Special Report: IP And Competition Law – Opposing Forces Or Partners For Consumer Welfare? 20/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intellectual property and competition authorities should collaborate, but other institutions should also have their say, such as health ministries, speakers said at a United Nations meeting of experts this week. And guidelines should be provided to judges in the difficult task of determining whether IP rights monopolies impede on competition, they said. This special report takes a deeper look at IPRs, competition, and differing economies.
Nearly 100 Organisations Press For Better Medicines Access In Asian Region RCEP Agreement 19/10/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nearly 100 health, community and development organisations working in the Asia-Pacific region issued a call for trade ministers negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement to “reject provisions that would negatively affect access to generic medicines.” Negotiators are meeting from 17-22 October in China, and the concern is about the intellectual property chapter of the deal.
USTR Froman: ‘We Have Begun A New Chapter In The History Of The Multilateral Trading System’ 17/10/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Outgoing United States Trade Representative Michael Froman in Geneva today gave a look back and ahead for the multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organization. His prediction was pragmatic and optimistic.
FTC Recommends Legislative Fixes For Nuisance Patent Lawsuits But Some Question Study 17/10/2016 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment LONDON — Procedural and substantive legislative reforms are needed to keep nuisance patent infringement lawsuits at bay, the United States Federal Trade Commission said in an October report. The question is whether the size of the study on activities of “patent assertion entities” (PAEs) was large enough to prove there’s a problem, say some patent attorneys, including speakers at the 13-14 October London IP Summit.
WIPO General Assembly Agrees On Two New WIPO Offices; No Deal On Design Treaty 12/10/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The somewhat puzzling suspense around which countries would be home to new country offices of the World Intellectual Property Organization was partially resolved as the annual WIPO General Assembly came to end yesterday after working till dawn on the bureaucratic issue. Only two candidates out of six could be agreed upon, both in Africa: Algeria and Nigeria. WIPO member states also agreed to amend the organisation’s oversight charter. But they had no luck on the decision to hold a high-level meeting to conclude a treaty on industrial designs.