Original news and analysis on international IP policy
This piece raises several issues with the public health financing proposal called the Health Impact Fund. It questions the relative distribution of costs and benefits; the persistent issue of intellectual property rights; as well as a lack of alliance with existing efforts to increase innovation of and access to essential medicines for the poor.
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.
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.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is organising a conference entitled, “The Changing Domain Name Landscape and New gTLDs” on 30 September in Paris.
Key European stakeholders have approved a "ground-breaking" set of principles for digitising and making publicly available out-of-print books and journals. The accord could serve as a template for dealing with the vexing problem of orphan works, those for whom the copyright owner cannot be found, according to International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations CEO Olav Stokkmo.
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.
US President Obama today signed a bill into law that many patent professionals and international observers may never have thought they'd see: the widescale reform of US patent law. What the impact will be on the US economy or on other nations remains to be seen.
While the global loss of biodiversity is widely recognised, the question of whether the influence of intellectual property rights on the protection of biodiversity is positive or negative does not achieve such consensus. A discussion among specialists on 14 September showed that clear evidence is lacking about the impact of IP rights. Some said the IP system as it stands might be ill-fitted to answer the needs of this particular field.
The greatest threat to global public health is not infectious diseases according to the World Health Organization. In a report released this week, the WHO found that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the top cause of death worldwide. The report details the NCD situation in 193 countries and comes as world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs in New York on 19-20 September.
The United States today took a swipe at India’s intellectual property rights policies and enforcement, asserting that it is out of sync with international practices but stopping short of suggesting that its 2005 IP law is out of compliance with World Trade Organization rules.
A conference being held in South Africa this week will address the sensitive topic of intellectual property and innovation in the developing country context. On hand will be a top team of developed country experts with a mix of Indian and Chinese specialists.
The Office of the US Trade Representative this week released a position paper on medicines and trade, in the midst of a controversial negotiation for a trade agreement with Pacific-bordering nations. The USTR "white paper" was billed as trade goals to enhance access to medicines, but stirred sharp criticism from public interest groups which found its claims of promoting medicines access for the poor disingenuous.