Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The European Court of Justice’s recent ruling in Google v. Louis Vuitton Malletier SA has been hailed a major legal victory for Google and other search providers. That, however, is only part of the story.
Brazil’s imposition of trade countermeasures against United States products and intellectual property rights, following a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling, might be averted as the two countries are working toward a negotiated settlement.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity last month hailed Cali, Colombia as the birthplace of a protocol they hope will lead to an international regime on access and benefit-sharing by their October 2010 deadline. But, while it is clear the late March negotiation in Cali brought significant progress, participants reported difficult disagreements and in the final days, signs that there is yet more work to be done.
The International Telecommunication Union, based in Geneva, is a 191-member United Nations body. Intellectual Property Watch recently spoke with Alexander Ntoko, a top strategist in the organisation about priorities in this critical year, inclusion of the public interest, and how convergence is bringing more issues related to digital content to the traditional telecom body.
A new accord designed to bolster political and economic ties between the European Union and Central America could result in greater seizures of medicines whenever pharmaceutical companies allege that their patents have been infringed, public health advocates have warned.
On 21 January, 2010, the China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) issued and requested comments from all stakeholders on its Disposal Rules for Inclusion of Patents in National Standards (Disposal Rules).
Brand name pharmaceutical companies’ concerns about profit losses related to the UNITAID patent pool might undermine access to newer and appropriate HIV medicine formulations in resource-limited settings. A universally agreed strategy to supplement UNITAID plan is therefore needed, writes Daniele Dionisio.
Applause burst from the plenary chamber this week as delegates at last found, in a semicolon, the solution to a long-running and at times sharply divided multilateral negotiation.
Work to address counterfeit medicines continues at the World Health Organization, but a meeting late last week revealed ongoing concerns about the way it is being conducted.
The Intellectual Property Watch Monthly Edition features top news on international IP policymaking, the latest on who is coming and going in the international IP community, news briefs and more. The March/April edition is now available for subscribers at: http://www.ip-watch.org/user/newsletter.
Advocates of stronger protection of geographical indications are working to develop greater awareness in Geneva policy circles, trying to win over countries reluctant to adopt a specific GI protection system.
The World Health Organization’s handling of the recent pandemic influenza outbreak will be examined by an independent panel of experts beginning in April. Meanwhile, new reports from the WHO are available on influenza and on intellectual property and innovation.