Category Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

WIPO Traditional Knowledge: Text Passes Committee Approval, Goes To Next Session

World Intellectual Property Organization delegates today agreed on a text compiling divergent views on how traditional knowledge should be protected in the intellectual property system to be forwarded to the next session of its committee on the protection of traditional knowledge. Some clear dividing lines remain, such as traditional knowledge which is widely known and could have been placed in the public domain, or if conditions of eligibility should be part of a potential treaty.

CETA To Be Signed (Again) During EU-Canada Summit In Mid-October

European Union trade ministers at an informal meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia today agreed on the final steps to enact CETA, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU. There will be no other reopening of the text, assured EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem after the meeting. But ministers have agreed, according to Slovak Minister of Economy Peter Ziga, that some sensitive issues have to be straightened out in an additional annex to the CETA text.

Shared Experiences Of Indigenous Peoples In The WIPO Negotiating Process

Members of indigenous communities this week shared their experiences in negotiating for their rights at the World Intellectual Property Organization and gave their advice on negotiations for potential treaties on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore.

European Cooperation Against Counterfeits Online: Sporting Goods Industry Joins Team

The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) and the European Commission recently signed a memorandum of understanding that sets out to “establish a code of practice in the fight against the sale of counterfeit goods over the internet and to enhance collaboration between the signatories.”

Big Pharma Issues Industry Roadmap On Antimicrobial Resistance

Major pharmaceutical companies today issued a roadmap they said aims to bring solutions to the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The plan, issued on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, targets environmental impact, use of antibiotics only by those who need them, improved access to medical products, and public-private partnerships.

Leaks Show TISA No Easy Trade Deal; Civil Rights Groups, Unions Alarmed

Greenpeace, European Digital Rights, Public Services International and the International Transport Worker's Federation today presented a collection of leaked papers on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). As negotiators from a dozen countries currently gathered in Geneva for officially the 20th round to close the deal on better trans-border service trading, the civil rights activists and trade union representatives warned that TISA partners would commit to give up their options to regulate in the public interest through a secret deal.

New Suggestions Under Discussion In WIPO Traditional Knowledge Talks

Delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization have started trying to better clarify the different positions countries have on the protection of traditional knowledge. Today facilitators to the discussions provided textual suggestions on the objective of a potential treaty, the definition of traditional knowledge, and whom the treaty should benefit.

After Two-Year Hiatus, WIPO Resumes Discussions On Protecting Traditional Knowledge

How can traditional knowledge be protected against misappropriation and who should benefit from this protection is at the heart of discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization this week. After over a two-year hiatus, WIPO delegates are resuming discussions this week on a potential treaty protecting traditional knowledge. The week’s focus is to find common understanding of core issues, such as the definition of traditional knowledge, and the scope of protection.