Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A conference entitled the "5th Product and Pipeline Enhancement for Generics" to be held in Washington, DC on 17-19 July will feature industry leaders in the generic, branded pharmaceutical and API industries. Issues covered will include current and upcoming changes in regulations and the market, innovation in drug pipeline, portfolio management and business development, intellectual property protection and biosimilars.
The heads of the world's five largest intellectual property offices, who refer to themselves as the IP5, met today to discuss further efforts to improve quality and efficiency in patent examination, and harmonise patent systems. Joining them were industry representatives from each of the regions.
The UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today announced it would start publishing briefing papers on the issues surrounding the revision of the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) and explain the "processes as well participation rights and opportunities to comment."
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the domain name system technical oversight body, will shortly make public the list of applied for new domains.
The French "three-strike" law aimed at preventing illegal downloading of protected works on the internet, enacted in October 2009 after much controversy, may be modified by the newly elected French government, according to sources.
The 13th Commercial Court of Appeal recently affirmed the decision of the Commercial Court of St. Petersburg in Russia’s leading P2P case ruling that the social network vKontakte, a Facebook lookalike, is liable for copyright infringement.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the patenting of essential biological processes.
The latest available documents of the closed-door meeting addressing recommendations on ways to finance neglected diseases largely afflicting developing countries show progress heading into this afternoon's session. They reflect efforts to agree on how to take the process forward, including agreement reached last night on putting the issue to regional groups later this year.
The chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization patent committee today circulated informal suggestions on ways forward for this week's wide-ranging committee agenda.
Members of the World Health Organization tonight will consider a draft decision on how the organisation will address the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol.