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Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual Property Watch

Reports on the interests and behind-the-scenes dynamics that influence the design and implementation of international intellectual property policies.
By Intellectual Property Watch

Post Frequency: 15.8/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 09:41:17

International Policy Network: Fake Scare About Fake Drugs

Posted on December 15, 2009
Recent customs seizures by some European Union members of Indian-made generic drugs en route to Latin America have caused uproar amongst development NGOs. But their claims are not only wide of the mark but dangerous, say Philip Stevens and Julian Harris.

WIPO Traditional Knowledge Meeting Stalls, But Begins To Breach ?Trust Gap?

Posted on December 14, 2009
After an auspicious beginning on substantive issues, the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee stalled on matters of procedure at the end of its meeting last week. With no mandate, a committee working group will not meet in early 2010 as planned, and the full committee will move meet again sooner than scheduled to try to agree on process.

Restoration Of French Philosopher?s Work Online In Argentina Seen As An Opening

Posted on December 14, 2009
An Argentinean judge?s recent decision to drop charges against a philosophy professor for alleged copyright infringement is being seen as a stepping stone to drawing attention to copyright issues in Latin America, according to advocates. Professor Horacio Potel created open source websites to post foreign philosophers? work in Spanish...

Civil Society, Elected Officials Rally Behind UNITAID Patent Pool

Posted on December 14, 2009
This week's consideration of an implementation plan for a medicines patent pool by the board of oversight body UNITAID stirred a stream of stakeholder letters from around the world.

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Tough Talks On IP In Technology Paper At Copenhagen; No Mention In Latest Draft

Posted on December 14, 2009
COPENHAGEN - A draft text on development and transfer of technology was subject to intense - and indeed heated - discussions during the first week of the high-level climate meeting in Copenhagen. But no intellectual property was mentioned in the latest draft text that was issued on 14 December.

US Government, Industry De-Emphasise Multilateral System In Enforcement Push

Posted on December 13, 2009
The Obama administration and industry groups like the Motion Picture Association of America continue to keep their policy focus squarely on protection and enforcement of IP assets, but in testimony to the US Congress last week made no mention of multilateral venues for advancing these interests through new policy instruments.

Counterfeit Medicines At WHO: Off Board?s Agenda, Still On Secretariat’s

Posted on December 11, 2009
The issue of counterfeit and substandard medicines is again not on the agenda of the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting in January, though sources say member states are being consulted about the issue by the secretariat.

WHO Report On Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Now Available

Posted on December 11, 2009
The World Health Organization secretariat has released its report to the executive board meeting on pandemic influenza preparedness. A framework for handling outbreaks of potentially pandemic influenza was approved in May this year, but outstanding ? and critical - elements of the framework remained unfinished.

UNITAID Drug Patent Pool Implementation Hinges On Board

Posted on December 11, 2009
Implementation of a United Nations-related patent pool initiative that independent reviewers say could save millions of lives (and dollars) is set to be approved next week by the initiative?s board, though some observers fear resistance from strong patent beneficiaries, such as the foundation run by Microsoft founder Bill Gates...

Draft Copenhagen Text On IP Issues Now Available

Posted on December 10, 2009
COPENHAGEN - A new draft climate change text on development and transfer of technology, obtained by Intellectual Property Watch and available to subscribers, was issued and under discussion at COP15 this afternoon.

Oxford Task Force To Examine Global Knowledge Governance

Posted on December 10, 2009
Intellectual property rules are the predominant tool to manage knowledge ownership and diffusion, but the complexity of IP regimes at the bilateral, regional or multilateral levels as well as the strengthening of these rules is a source of tension between stakeholders, according to a newly launched task force at the Oxford University Global Economic Governance [...

Copenhagen Attendees: Techies, Greenies, Political Posturers, Commerce Opportunists

Posted on December 10, 2009
The provisional list of registered participants to the 7-18 December United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen is out, and a look at it reveals the variety of people considered relevant to the timely and cross-cutting issue. A look at the United States delegation alone shows the wide representation from across the Obama administration [...

WIPO Traditional Knowledge Negotiators Dodging Roadblocks

Posted on December 10, 2009
How to handle work between meetings on creating a "legal instrument" caused a stalemate in informal negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization traditional knowledge committee this evening. Unable to reach agreement on the composition and activities of the group, delegates have put the negotiations on hold and will reconvene informally tomorrow (Friday) morning.

IP Issues May Go To ?Higher Political Level? In Copenhagen Amid Difficulties

Posted on December 09, 2009
COPENHAGEN - While intellectual property rights has been ?the elephant in the room? in the climate change negotiations so far, officials predict that it could become the subject of heated negotiations - even at a higher political level - during the ongoing high-level meeting in Copenhagen...

New WTO TRIPS Special Sessions Stand-In Chair

Posted on December 09, 2009
Following Ambassador Trevor Clarke?s appointment at the World Intellectual Property Organization and departure from the Barbados delegation, Ambassador Karen Tan of Singapore will chair the World Trade Organization Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) ?Special Sessions,? until February, according to a WTO source...

Financement de la recherche-d�veloppement de m�dicaments contre les maladies oubli�es : l?OMS s?appr�te � publier ses recommandations

Posted on December 09, 2009
Le groupe d?experts sur les financements innovants pour la recherche et le d�veloppement, r�uni sous les auspices de l'Organisation mondiale de la Sant� (OMS), a tenu sa troisi�me et derni�re r�union du 30 novembre au 2 d�cembre. Le rapport de ce comit� tr�s secret devrait �tre communiqu� aux Etats membres dans les semaines qui viennent, selon certaines sources.

GAO Reviews US Overseas IP Attaches

Posted on December 09, 2009
The placement of specialised United States government intellectual property attach�s overseas, such as in Beijing and Guangzhou, China; New Delhi, India; and Bangkok, Thailand, has had an overall positive impact on coordination of international IP enforcement efforts, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified to Congress today...

Confidential Documents From WHO R&D Finance Group, Industry, Raise Concern

Posted on December 09, 2009
Confidential documents related to the World Health Organization Expert Working Group on innovative financing for research and development surfaced today, revealing the group?s thinking as well as pharmaceutical industry thinking about the WHO process...

IP5 Launch Website; Trilateral Offices Meet On Trademarks

Posted on December 08, 2009
The world’s five “major” intellectual property offices, the so-called “IP5,” have launched a website to detail their joint projects, the European Patent Office reported today. In particular, the website will document progress on ten projects agreed to last year on “harmonising the global environment for patent searches and examination and enabling work-sharing,” the EPO release [...

Industry Intellectual Property Enforcers Named To New Posts

Posted on December 08, 2009
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) today announced the appointment of a new director of intellectual property and trade, effective 7 December. Meanwhile, in the United States, new coordinator for IP enforcement has been cleared.

HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Policies: Emerging Incentives for Pro-Poor Changes to IP?

Posted on December 08, 2009
Daniele Dionisio argues some perspectives on health and IP might change now that controversial practices at the WTO, World Bank and IMF are increasingly under pressure, and that new government policy choices and actors on the world chessboard are emerging.

Mismatch On Traditional Knowledge Treaty Text, Negotiating Sessions At WIPO

Posted on December 08, 2009
The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore (IGC) at the World Intellectual Property Organization began its first meeting under a newly-minted mandate yesterday, though it seems matters of procedure may again take up much of the space for discussions, according to several delegates.

Hotel Chain Fails In Effort To Use Trademark To Block Workers? Union

Posted on December 08, 2009
A North American hotel chain recently lost a case at the World Intellectual Property Organization against a critical workers? union website it tried to silence through a trademark claim. A panellist under the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center ruled on 2 December that the union had a right to keep a website critical of the [...

USPTO Will Speed Reviews Of Green Tech Patents

Posted on December 07, 2009
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today announced a pilot programme to accelerate examination of some environmental technology patent applications to speed commercialisation. The US-oriented initiative was announced by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who oversees the patent office, as an entry to the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen...

Future Of Biotechnology And IP: Research Exemptions, Ceilings, Trade Secrets

Posted on December 07, 2009
Patenting of biotechnologies is a growing trend and is increasingly raising questions about legal and ethical implications and a lack of harmonisation, according to speakers at a recent World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) symposium.

WHO Neglected Disease R&D Finance Group Nears Recommendations

Posted on December 07, 2009
An expert working group on innovative financing for research and development, meeting under the auspices of the World Health Organization, held its third and final meeting last week, with a report from the secretive group expected to be released to member states in the coming weeks, according to sources.

Microsoft Drafts Consumers In Fight Against Software Piracy: Carrot And Stick

Posted on December 06, 2009
US software giant Microsoft said Thursday that users globally have started to join the fight against software piracy by sending in over 150,000 reports about problems with fake Microsoft products over the last two years.

False Metaphors And Sinking Ships: Patry On Copyright In Geneva

Posted on December 04, 2009
?In international law we like metaphors,? said William Patry, Senior Copyright Counsel at Google and author of the recent book Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars. One of the most pervasive of these is ?a rising tide lifts all boats,? a metaphor whose danger lies in appearing logical...

EU Patent Regime Approved: Includes EU Patents Court, EU Patent, Coordination

Posted on December 04, 2009
European Union governments have unanimously approved a roadmap for a single European patent regime. The system is seen as key to making patenting less expensive and more efficient for European inventors, but the devil, as always, is in the details, stakeholders say.

Panel: Doha Round Hijacked Trade, But Geopolitics May Force Adjustments

Posted on December 03, 2009
The future of the multilateral trading system looks bleak although global trade is in good shape overall, and developing countries are becoming heavier trading partners as a new geopolitical landscape is emerging, according to panellists in a concurrent event to this week?s World Trade Organization ministerial meeting.

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