Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The UN International Telecommunication Union today released global statistics on information and communications technology, showing great advances in speed, reach and mobile connectivity, but with the reality that billions of humans are still not connected to the internet.
At the end of an intensive 10-day meeting, World Intellectual Property Organization member states were unable to agree on the UN agency's program and budget for the 2014-2015 biennium, leading to suspension of the meeting at about midnight on the last night. An extraordinary meeting was called for December to finish the work before the end of the current biennium on 31 December.
A closed-door working group under the World Health Organization will meet next week to continue working out details of a plan for companies to pay for the right to use influenza virus strains to potentially develop patented treatments.
The membership of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization in its celebrated annual General Assembly have spent most of the last few days in informal small groups behind closed doors, trying to reach agreements on issues that seem simple but for them, go to the heart of the organisation’s functioning.
The inner workings of United Nations agencies can be very complicated, with clashes of cultures and management styles and any number of pressures. The case of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization appears to be a particular example in this respect.
The United States Congress' failure to pass a budget for the government by the end of the fiscal year on 30 September, which led to today's shutdown, will have a variety of effects on the patent process, according to a new article.
Policymakers at the World Intellectual Property Organization annual General Assembly over the past week have had significant exposure to what industry and creators are up to. Meanwhile, WIPO members approved the mandate for the WIPO committee on IP enforcement.
As many as 300 members of the staff of the World Intellectual Property Organization have supported a petition urging the WIPO director general to withdraw a proposed amendment to the internal justice system at the UN agency, according to informed sources. The petition calls on WIPO member states to reject the proposed changes.
Two candidates to lead the UN World Intellectual Property Organization from 2014 to 2020 have been formally nominated by their governments in the past week. And according to sources, others are being considered.
The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body has established a panel on a complaint by Honduras against Australia's measure to require tobacco to be sold in plain packaging as a public health measure.