Category Patents/Designs/Trade Secrets

Medicines Patent Pool Signs Deal With Indian Generics Producer

The Medicines Patent Pool, which negotiates voluntary licences for lower pharmaceutical prices, today announced the signing of an agreement with generics producer Aurobindo Pharma Limited to manufacture antiretroviral medicines. The Patent Pool has recently come under criticism from AIDS activists concerned about its July licence agreement with drug company Gilead, and it remains to be seen if this action will address their concerns.

South Africa: TK Legislation In The New Tradition

“Ex Africa semper aliquid novi”, which can be freely translated from Latin to mean “there is always something new coming out of Africa,” said Pliny, the ancient Roman writer and scholar. Presumably then, as is the case now, the concept of “new” included an expression of sarcasm and deprecation as in “absurd, nonsensical and ridiculous.” Well, Pliny has been proved right once again, writes Prof. Owen Dean.

As Bilateral Trade Deals Proceed, WIPO Hears Warnings, Calls For Change

As some developed countries prepared to ink a secret plurilateral trade agreement against rampant global piracy and counterfeiting in recent days, leading emerging economies and non-governmental groups warned the World Intellectual Property Organization that such outside agreements need to respect broader societal impacts of IP rights enforcement or risk abuses of international rules on trade and development.

A Response From The Authors Of The Health Impact Fund

In reaction to the recent IP-Watch Inside Views post “Health Impact Fund – Raising Issues of Distribution, IP Rights and Alliances,” by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and Proochista Ariana, the authors offer a response on behalf of Incentives for Global Health (IGH), the non-profit organization that is developing the Health Impact Fund (HIF) proposal.

Clear The Way For SMEs: Lessons From Nairobi

Penye nia, pana njia. A Swahili proverb for “when there's a will, there's a way,” this might well be the motto for innovative entrepreneurs the world over. Whether they’re based in Nairobi, Brussels or Silicon Valley, what matters the most to entrepreneurs is the success of their businesses. Of course, what's "in the way" of that success can vary considerably, writes Jonathan Zuck.

US Patent Law Seen Opening Door To Global Harmonisation At WIPO

Just a week after US patent reform was signed into law, the Symposium of Intellectual Property Authorities opened with an air of celebration on 22 September at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). During the opening session, several keynote speakers congratulated United States Patent and Trademark Office Director David Kappos for the long-awaited legislation helping to harmonise the American patent process with the rest of the world.

Questions Arise Over UN Policy On Non-Communicable Diseases And IP Rights

United Nations members this month are setting the future course for global action against a rising public health problem well-known in developed countries and spreading to developing countries: noncommunicable diseases. But whether they will – or should - address concerns that intellectual property rights issues might interfere with access to treatments for such diseases as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease remains to be seen.