Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By William New Member governments of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization concluded this year’s annual assemblies with high optimism for the future of the intellectual property system and for the organisation. “We’re glad to see WIPO back to its…
By William New and Kaitlin Mara Member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization completed their annual General Assemblies earlier than scheduled this year, but some of the most difficult decisions – such as the budget – will be addressed…
By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch
When the new administration and Congress come into office following the November elections in the United States, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries will prioritise protection of their intellectual property and innovative biological drugs as the push for cheaper, generic versions gets stronger. Patent reform also will continue to be a lobbying priority, as well as making sure intellectual property is protected in any forthcoming international trade agreements.
By Kaitlin Mara Work is ongoing within the World Health Organization on a member-mandated global strategy on public health, innovation and intellectual property, a WHO official said Tuesday. But little information about that work has been forthcoming since the strategy…
By William New Top officials from the world’s five biggest patent offices met Wednesday night in Geneva to discuss ways to further harmonise their activities, United States Patent Commissioner John Doll told Intellectual Property Watch. Meanwhile, members of the World…
By Kaitlin Mara
As more companies embrace environmental sustainability as an essential part of business strategy, policymakers have been questioning what they can do to create a policy environment conducive to green business. Intellectual Property Watch spoke to several green business professionals to get their view on the IP policy environments in which they work.
By William New Australian Francis Gurry became the next in a short list of leaders of the World Intellectual Property Organization Monday, and promptly signalled a programme of increased multilateralism and bolstered global and local relevance for the United Nations…
By William New The 2008 annual assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization likely will be remembered for some time, as the choices member governments make there this week may have a profound effect on the future of the United…
By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Biotechnology policymakers, business leaders, and academics need to adopt a new intellectual property strategy focussed on cooperation and collaboration, rather than the current counterproductive model that encourages patenting as much as possible, says…
By Kaitlin Mara Perhaps no topic over the past year has been cause for more uneasy speculation within the intellectual property community than the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), primarily because the negotiating process for this treaty has been behind tightly…
By Kaitlin Mara High-level officials from China and the United States on Tuesday reiterated their joint commitment to “strategic cooperation” on copyright and trademark protection and enforcement, and agreed to hold further meetings of a joint intellectual property working group…
By Catherine Saez, William New and Kaitlin Mara Developed nations are overreaching in their broad push to escalate enforcement of intellectual property rights and their efforts should be reined in and centralised in the World Intellectual Property Organization, say leading…