Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The high-level Munich Security Conference this weekend saw a considerable push for going forward with a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Both US Vice-President Joe Biden and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle said such an agreement is within reach. But according to experts, negotiations also could re-open discussions on intellectual property protection.
Contributions of participants at a recent e-conference organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on new genetically modified organisms show that a considerable number of new GMOs are likely to be released in developing countries in the next five years.
Plant variety protection has raised concerns in Africa and in Latin America, and further developments are expected in 2013.
On the occasion of the 132nd session of the World Health Organization Executive Board last week, delegations welcomed the efforts made by the international community to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio), but saw room for improvement. As a way forward, they looked to the key role played by WHO partners.
Next week, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates will convene for the first committee meeting of 2013. First up is the protection of genetic resources from misappropriation, and the goal of the week is to bridge gaps so they can construct a text that could become an international instrument on protection.
An essential relationship exists among the conservation, development and use of genetic resources, sustainable agriculture and food security. There is an equally essential relationship between the conservation, development and use of genetic resources and small scale-farmers. The strength and effectiveness of any treaty addressing IP and genetic resources depends on the meaningful participation of small-scale farmers, and those that can represent them, as in the treaty deliberations continuing next week at WIPO, write Susan Bragdon and Lynn Finnegan.
Copies made by end-users for private purposes in the context of a service previously licensed by copyright holders don't cause harm that should be subject to private copying levies on reproduction devices such as MP3 players, blank DVDs and photocopiers, a European Commission-appointed mediator said in recommendations published on 31 January. António Vitorino suggested major changes to Europe's copy levy system to align it with the digital world, but said at a press briefing that “there is still some way to go” to bring stakeholder positions together.
The European Commission's claims of support for development cooperation contrast with budget cuts for aid, raising doubts about the EU’s real will and ability to address today’s overall challenges and push for inclusive and sustainable development, writes Daniele Dionisio.
Intellectual property professionals speaking at the University of Geneva last week discussed the challenges faced by companies and legislators in the domain of trade secrets. Topics addressed included the impact globalisation has on the protection of trade secrets, the need for an harmonised regime at the European level, and the need to rethink the place of trade secrets in the current international IP regime.
The European Commission has proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU’s 1995 data protection rules to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe’s digital economy.
A video interview on EU data protection reform with Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament rapporteur on the General Data Protection Regulation, posted by EU policy broadcaster viEUws, is available here.
The World Health Assembly’s rotating Executive Board meets twice a year, and on 29 January concluded its 132nd meeting with what the WHO director general termed an “unprecedented” amount of agenda items and documents.
Prof. Ryan Abbott analyzes the key components of the WHO proposal for a Global R&D Treaty and their potential impact on public health. The article proposes strategies to convert parties currently opposing the treaty, and argues that a stratified limited market-exclusivity regime has the capacity for a meaningful impact.