Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A new set of patent regulations involving standards has been proposed by China’s Standardization Administration, which represents the country to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and which organises national and international standardisation projects, according to GTW Associates, a US-based…
Countries were split on North/South lines at a recent meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee on Information Technology (SCIT) over whether to accept a proposed broad agenda for future work that some feared would open the door to policy discussions beyond its mandate.
Several leading universities in the United States as well as the National Institutes of Health have adopted a set of principles regarding intellectual property and research intended to aid dissemination of medical technology. The Statement of Principles and Strategies for…
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 November edition is now available for subscribers.
Conservative US radio talk show host Glenn Beck, known for bad-mouthing others on radio and opposition television station Fox News, has lost a case at the World Intellectual Property Organization trying to force the takedown of website parodying him, www.GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com.
The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) has denied two farmers’ advocacy organisations observer status to its governing Council on grounds that they have not demonstrated expertise relevant to the intergovernmental body’s work, stirring concern that opposition groups are being denied participation. Meanwhile, the functional head of UPOV will step down this spring after a decade of leadership, with several candidates in the running for his replacement.
The European Generic medicines Association today issued a call for criminal sanctions rather than technology to stem the flow of counterfeit drugs. This will stop counterfeiters, not bar-codes, said Antonyia Parvanova, a member of the European Parliament, according to an…
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations has appointed a new director general, Eduardo Pisani, to take office 1 January 2010.
A compromise was found last week between the European Parliament and European Council on “internet access safeguards” in the last remaining open issue in the European Union telecommunications package, according to the Parliament. But public interest concerns remain that restrictive punishment measures might still be possible.
During the most recent negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in Seoul, Korea on 4-6 November, about which no information is available, US industry and public interest groups issued statements taking widely divergent positions on progress of the talks.
Intellectual property rights enforcement has risen on the global trade and IP agenda, but greater transparency in the evaluation of piracy and counterfeiting and assessments of broader social implications may be needed, according to speakers at a side event last week.
Martin Khor, executive director of the intergovernmental South Centre on critical issues facing the global South related to intellectual property - such as climate change, and the challenge of global IP infrastructure - and what the South Centre’s plans are to address them.