Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The World Health Organization will be entering a new phase of its global action plan for influenza vaccines, a WHO representative told reporters today. The goals of the first phase of the programme should be furthered but with more attention given to the local health and policy environment, WHO said.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has taken its first public steps in the climate change debate by holding a conference on the subject this week. The organisation’s expertise in intellectual property policy and technology transfer is being sought by several other actors in the field, in particular the United Nations climate change agency.
El Medicines Patent Pool y la compañía farmacéutica Gilead Sciences ha anunciado hoy un acuerdo de licencia para permitir la producción medicamentos clave para el combate contra el VIH a un menor costo y en una formulación más fácil de usar, haciéndolos más accesibles a los países en desarrollo.. El acuerdo se extiende al uso de tratamientos para la hepatitis B por primera vez.
India has at least seven diverse intellectual property (IP) legislations related to protection already in place. Its focus should therefore arguably be directed - along the lines of many other IP jurisdictions - on more stringent enforcement modus operandi of the IP rights. Is there scope for introducing yet another IP legislation – the utility model protection law - in the Indian IP landscape and if so, what should be its scope and implication, asks Swarup Kumar.
Civil society groups say a leaked document from regional free trade negotiations between countries bordering the Pacific Ocean shows the United States favouring giant pharmaceutical companies at the expense of public health. Separately, the tobacco industry is allegedly also trying to push for a clause to prevent plain packaging.
The Medicines Patent Pool and pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences today announced a breakthrough licence agreement to allow for the production of key HIV medicines at lower cost and in an easier-to-use formulation, making them more accessible to developing countries. The agreement also opens up the use of treatments for Hepatitis B for the first time.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is continuing its push to become involved in some of the biggest policy questions of the day with an international conference on climate change next week. This follows recent efforts on public health and food security.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is holding a two-day meeting to increase awareness of intellectual property rights throughout the region.
Concern over non-communicable diseases - traditionally a more developed-country set of problems like diabetes - is energising the international public health policy community. But representatives of the public interest are still grappling with their response.
The European Organisaton for Nuclear Research (CERN) today issued an open hardware licence for electronic designs, following its principle of “open science.”
The governments of Spain and Italy have filed complaints with the European Court of Justice calling for the annullment of a March European Council decision to create an EU unitary patent.
The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today praised the commitment made by India's Commerce Minister not to negotiate stronger intellectual property rights provisions that could undermine India's global leadership in the production of affordable generic AIDS drugs.