Original news and analysis on international IP policy
An international outcry from open internet proponents has emerged over draft US legislation, HR 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), on the eve of a hearing on the bill. International critics say the bill would put the United States on the same ground as China with regards to internet filtering, undermining the US argument for internet freedom.
Public health advocates in a dozen countries worldwide have launched a coordinated campaign to bring about generic competition on a key medicine for HIV/AIDS, currently under patent by a pharmaceutical producer.
Least-developed countries at the World Trade Organization have proposed an extension of the deadline they are facing to comply with a WTO agreement on intellectual property rights. But they left open how much more time they would like after the 2013 deadline.
Thirty-three research institutions, associations and foundations in North America last week signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, committing to support open access research in the future. The signing brings the total signers to nearly 300, including many of the top research institutions in the world.
Evaluation and auditing of the World Intellectual Property Organization gained increased interest a few years ago when rich member countries responsible for most of its revenues became alarmed about questions of financial and human resources management. But now the UN agency’s sometimes bumpy evaluation process is maturing, including a development aspect, and has a new external report on its global technical assistance programmes.
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has set up a fund for donations to support core activities after the United States withheld its dues equalling nearly a quarter of UNESCO's budget. Already the agency has begun cutting programmes in developing countries, it said.
The World Trade Organization today announced that Russia and the WTO working party for its accession have come to agreement. The Russian Federation began negotiating to join the World Trade Organization before the WTO’s landmark agreement on intellectual property rights entered into force. Now, Russia will become party to the agreement upon joining the WTO.
A new study by a Harvard business professor has found that protection against copyright liability increased investment in the cutting-edge technology of cloud computing.
The US Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a current bill to prevent brand-name pharmaceutical companies from paying generic producers to delay the release of generic drugs into the market could save the US budget some $4.8 billion over 10…
The Medicines Patent Pool, which aims to increase access to affordable, high-quality medicines for HIV/AIDS patients in low and middle income countries, has issued a response to concerns about its recent deal with a large pharmaceutical company.
The director of the legendary Library of Alexandria, lauded in Europe in recent weeks, has come under attack from the majority of his library staff and others demanding his departure over questions of unprofessional employee practices, alleged retaliation against workers for speaking freely, and for his affiliation with the outcast Mubarak regime.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is undertaking to explain the apparent contradiction in the strong enforcement of intellectual property rights and efforts to ensure freedom of expression on the internet. And she said the State Department will keep saying it in the future.