Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A side event to this week’s World Intellectual Property Organization annual General Assembly highlighted the work of the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool in fighting HIV/AIDS, and discussed whether it makes sense for the patent pool model to be extended to other diseases.
Gilead on 15 September struck voluntary licence deals with seven India-based generic manufacturers to expand access to its hepatitis C innovative drugs in developing countries. With a limited territory covered, this, yet deserving, pact raises doubts about the coherence of Indian counterparts at a time when there are no relevant patents in India, several pre-grant oppositions have been filed and unrestrained competition by compulsory licences could have been pursued, writes Daniele Dionisio.
At the outset of its annual General Assembly this week, the World Intellectual Property Organization inaugurated a state-of-the-art new conference hall which has already drawn attention for its prominent position overlooking the Place des Nations in Geneva.
Responses to an Australian government proposal for fighting online copyright infringement show a wide gap between rights holders and internet companies on liability, and website blocking.
South Korea is now considered one of the most influential countries in the IP field. Intellectual Property Watch exchanged a set of questions for Kim Young-min, commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) since 2013, speaking about KIPO’s policies for increasing international cooperation, reducing first action pendency, and preventing “bad faith” trademark applicants in Korea from making unfair profits.
The Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organisation member states opened this morning in a new conference hall for a 10-day marathon with many decisions to be taken on the programme of work of the organisation for the year to come, its governance, and the need to address issues left opened by several committees.
The World Intellectual Property Organization administration received a strong reaction from UN unions on Friday night when it fired the president of the UN agency’s staff association on the eve of the annual WIPO General Assembly. Meanwhile, the General Assembly chair has been called on to provide to member states the results of two confidential reports evaluating allegations made against the WIPO director general.
A number of side events have been scheduled during the annual General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization this week. The range of events are organised by WIPO as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations working in areas such as public health, finance, copyright, geographical indications and innovation.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is a successful United Nations agency if success is measured by its generated income and the number of international registrations of intellectual property titles. However, in its role as a norm-setting United Nations agency, the organisation has been struggling for the past year as member countries have quite a different view on its core objectives.
After months of consideration and an application process that attracted 360 applicants, the World Intellectual Property Organization secretariat has made public its proposed names for the top posts at the UN agency for the next six years. Only four out…
BRUSSELS – Intellectual property experts at the annual conference of the European Policy for Intellectual Property Association (EPIP) discussed a range of topics including IP rights and standard-setting. The conclusion? Many questions remain unanswered.
Googling may be a ubiquitous fact of life, but the company behind the term still has trademark rights, a US court has found.