Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

Proposal For New UN Internet Governance Body Meets Resistance

A proposal for a new United Nations body for internet governance oversight did not please the majority of delegates, be it from governments, private sector or civil society, at the sixth Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi last week. But while India and Brazil sought to defend their proposal, forum stakeholders were unable to move to reshape the annual event.

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.

Internet Governance Forum Faces Challenges As UN Hears Proposals For New Bodies

The United Nations-led Internet Governance Forum is in its usual dialogue-only mode again this week as it meets in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. But it is facing huge challenges at the beginning of its second five-year mandate.

Talk Of Treaties, Revenue Increase, Development As WIPO Annual Assemblies Kick Off

The annual World Intellectual Property Organization meeting of member states kicked off yesterday with hope among participants that the next year could bring a return to positive revenues, a settling of internal dissension, and some of the first treaties at the UN agency in nearly 20 years.

New Website Allows Reporting On Violations Of Net Neutrality

Civil rights organisations last week launched a website to allow users to report violations of internet neutrality. If users become aware that their telecommunications operators block access to certain content or services, they are invited to list this on respectmynet.eu.

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.

A Call To Update Trade Policy Apps In The Internet Era

Access to the internet and internet services, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, is often thought about in terms of freedom of expression. The so-called Arab Spring reinforced that link as governments limited, censored and restricted the internet in an effort to control communication.

But freedom of information and open access to the internet is not only a human rights issue; it is also of vital importance to the world economy. This was the key message that emerged from “Blocking the Free Flow of Information: A New Trade Barrier,” a session held at the World Trade Organization’s Public Forum on 21 September.

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.