Original news and analysis on international IP policy
After several hours in informal consultations, delegates attending the 42nd session of the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly (and 22nd Extraordinary Session) came out of the room this evening with good news.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is on the verge of deciding on a high-level meeting paving the way for a new treaty to facilitate access to books to visually impaired people. Meanwhile, in Africa, far from plenary discussions, the situation on the ground reveals a dire need for change.
As the World Intellectual Property Organization prepares to hold an Extraordinary General Assembly this week to decide on convening a high-level meeting to negotiate a new treaty on limitations and exceptions for blind and other visually impaired people, publishers are defending their position.
An Extraordinary General Assembly will take place tomorrow at the World Intellectual Property Organization to decide on convening a high-level meeting in 2013 to agree on a treaty on exceptions and limitations to copyright for visually impaired people, enabling them to have a better access to works in special formats.
At the close of a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting dedicated solely to a potential new treaty on industrial design law and practice, delegates agreed to continue working on the draft instrument at the next session. But they will also have to address divergent views on how to integrate technical assistance and capacity building into the treaty.
The issue of technical assistance and capacity building established a clear divide during World Intellectual Property Organization discussions on a potential new treaty on industrial designs today.
The work on a potential new treaty on industrial designs law and practice is at full throttle at the World Intellectual Property Organization with delegates trying to agree on common rules and procedures. The new treaty is expected to make life easier for the millions of industrial designs applicants worldwide.
The World Intellectual Property Organization today issued its annual World Intellectual Property Indicators report showing that despite the "continued fragility of global economy," intellectual property is still performing. The report was issued as WIPO members are discussing a potential new treaty on industrial designs law and practice, with a view of harmonising rules and procedures worldwide.
Delegates to the World Intellectual Property Organization this week are expected to have a focussed session on the protection of industrial designs. The last meeting of the committee in charge of this issue ended disappointingly for proponents of a quick path to a treaty on industrial design, but the committee was mandated by the October WIPO General Assembly to expedite work on the matter.
A happy mood was in order at the close of a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting on the protection of product names indicating their origin, particular qualities and reputation. Geographical indications are being considered for the same recognition and protection as appellations of origin through the revision of a current international instrument.
Preliminary findings of a survey aimed at mapping the current prevailing ideas on intellectual property confirmed recognised trends that academics and intergovernmental IP professionals look more favourably on weaker IP protection, and traditional North-South differences toward IP rights are becoming less clear cut. It also found that policymakers tend to rely heavily on statistics from industry to help them with their decisions, whether reliable or not.
For most people, champagne evokes a sophisticated bubbly white wine, associated with luxury and celebration. Champagne is also a region of France where this particular wine originates. The protection of geographical indications, such as champagne, but also Darjeeling tea or Idaho potatoes, is being discussed in several fora, and next week at the World Intellectual Property Organization.