WIPO Committee On IP Enforcement Beats Drum Of Awareness 24/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The enforcement of intellectual property rights is a challenge in particular because of the lack of awareness of the consequences of infringement, said several speakers at the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on enforcement this week.
US, China Talk Standards & IP, Trade Secrets, GIs, Broadcasting, Enforcement 24/11/2015 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The 26th United States-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) meeting was held from 21-23 November, and covered a wide range of intellectual property-related areas, including standards and IP, trade secrets, geographical indications, sports broadcasting, enhanced enforcement against media boxes and unauthorised content providers, and online enforcement.
New Proposal For Inclusion Of Disclosure Requirement In Design Treaty; Group B Still Not Takers 17/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The draft text of a treaty to help international designers apply for protection has been on the table at the World Intellectual Property Organization for some time, and has been under discussion again this week. Two questions have prevented its completion. One is whether technical assistance for developing countries should be part of the text, and the other is how to accommodate a request for a provision allowing countries to ask for disclosure of the origin of the design, to prevent misappropriation.
Internet Governance Forum: Ten Years After 16/11/2015 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Ten years after feeble beginnings, the Internet Governance Forum, once the baby of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), stood last week in Joao Pessoa. But in all these years, did it also learn to walk? The IGF is more popular than ever but also perhaps more inadequate than ever at containing and advancing the many views and concerns that are raised there by a multitude of global stakeholders.
WHO Director Questions IP Rights, Drug Prices, Industry Influence 12/11/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Saying she could speak more freely outside of the World Health Organization, WHO Director General Margaret Chan today told a gathering of think tank representatives at the Graduate Institute of Geneva that intellectual property rights may be unfairly driving up drug prices and that industry lobbying may be interfering with governments’ efforts to take action on behalf of their citizens’ public health.
WIPO IP Report: 3D Printing, Nanotechnology, Robotics – Next Ticket To Global Expansion? 12/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Nanotechnologies, 3D printing and robotics are areas of potential breakthrough technologies, and mostly happening in the most developed countries, with China catching up, a World Intellectual Property Organization report has found. Knowledge-sharing is an important factor of innovation, facilitated by intellectual property, according to the report. However, the world may have reached its innovation peak and may have to content with low economic growth.
Review Of WIPO Technical Assistance, Four Years After Release, Still Stirs Up Development Committee 12/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Intense negotiations are going on this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization over an external review of how the World Intellectual Property Organization delivers technical assistance on intellectual property to developing and least-developed countries. At stake is how to implement some of the recommendations suggested in the four-year old report.
Governments, Industry Offer Mixed Hope For Multilateral IP Policymaking 11/11/2015 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment WASHINGTON, DC — The sun may be setting on multilateral policymaking in intellectual property in the eyes of industry, but leading United States and European Union representatives insist on its continued vital role in trade and economy. But a “new narrative” is needed as they emphasise bilateral and plurilateral agreements.
Panel Looks At Patentability Criteria In Public Health 11/11/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A recent workshop on patentability criteria illustrated how countries are using the policy space provided by international trade rules to calibrate their patent law. In particular, incremental innovation remains a trying issue for national legislators, speakers said.
African Ministers IPR Conference Addresses Issues For African Creators 09/11/2015 by Sadibou Marone for Intellectual Property Watch and Babacar Dione for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment DAKAR, Senegal — The World Intellectual Property Organization 2015 African Ministerial Conference on Intellectual Property for Emerging Africa took place last week in Dakar, the Senegalese capital where around 50 ministers gathered as well as 200 participants. Among the many themes addressed, the conference called for better recognition of the rights of artists and creators. Musicians called for a strong musicians’ union to better defend their rights, advocating for a reform of African legislation on copyright. And Africa must boost its creativity and innovation to produce sports content by learning on what others are doing, panellists said.