Original news and analysis on international IP policy
After adopting the 2014-2015 program and budget yesterday, World Intellectual Property Organization member countries yesterday agreed on some pending issues but so far have not got agreement on principles for future WIPO offices worldwide nor a commitment to finish a treaty on the international registration of industrial designs.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – Academics, advocates, lawyers, government officials and others meeting this week have heard of the launch of several new books and research tools to better understand the relationship of intellectual property, development and social issues. In particular, discussion in the early part of the conference focussed on a book revealing evidence from extensive primary research on the ground in 13 countries across the continent.
United States Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker today announced Michelle K. Lee as the next deputy director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), starting in January. In the absence of a director at USPTO, she will also serve as acting director.
In the nick of time, the World Intellectual Property Organization has agreed on a budget for the new biennium - which starts in three weeks.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - Public groups this week urged Mark Dybul, head of the Geneva-based Global Fund for HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to reconsider the establishment of a panel to look at tiered pricing for middle income countries, potentially allowing companies to charge them higher prices. And separately, activists reported on progress in South Africa's HIV strategy.
Small businesses form the backbone of the American economy, but many see patent assertion entities (PAEs), or, “patent trolls” and troll lawsuits as serious wrenches thrown into these economic engines of innovation and ideas.
So, Article One Partners (AOP), a global patent research community that crowdsources its research for tech giants and law firms the likes of Microsoft and Google, today launched “Operation Ninja STAR,” a crowdfunding effort to help small businesses defend themselves against PAEs behaving badly.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - Intellectual property rights represent a hurdle to lower-priced, high quality tests of HIV treatment monitoring in developing countries, public health group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors without Borders) said today.
Trade ministers of the 12 countries negotiating a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) today issued a statement signalling a breakthrough on the treaty, but lacking specifics.
The far-reaching Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement may be even more ambitious than previously thought. A newly leaked alleged recent memorandum and chart giving a rare view of country positions from inside the closed negotiating room showed the 12 countries to be far apart on many issues, especially intellectual property rights, heading into this week’s talks in Singapore. And they suggest the United States is facing pushback to its vigorous efforts to get those differences resolved quickly.
China is on top again - for rapid growth in intellectual property filings.
Defying global economic turmoil, the big headline from the 2013 World Intellectual Property Indicators released today, shows that China topped the charts when compared to other countries in term of patent and trademark filings last year. But the report, produced by the World Intellectual Property Organization, indicated good news for other countries and IP as well; patent filings overall grew by 9.2 percent last year - the fastest growth in the last 18 years.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – Some 350 experts from around the world are gathering here this week to discuss intellectual property rights and innovation as they relate to the public interest.
A group of experts summoned to select projects presenting innovative ways to foster research and development of medical products for diseases primarily affecting developing countries at the World Health Organization this week finished their work and selected eight projects out of 22. Civil society was quick to express concern that the selected projects do not propose a new way forward. Now WHO member states must narrow the list down further.