Category News

WHO Members Near Deal On IP, Innovation And Public Health, With Key Question

Some five years after setting a mandate to address barriers faced by poor countries in accessing needed medicines, World Health Organization members are near agreement on a strategy and plan of action. But a key question remains on WHO involvement in a possible treaty on biomedical research and development for diseases disproportionately affecting developing nations, and the WHO secretariat is facing accusations that the process has not been amply inclusive.

William New
May 21, 2009

UN Internet Governance Panel Urges Infrastructure, Education On Access To Knowledge

Access to knowledge is a future challenge and a key factor for social and economic development but a balance needs to be found between the interests of rights holders and those of the public, said speakers at a high panel on access to knowledge during the World Summit on the Information Society Forum on Monday.

Pandemic Flu A Top Focus Of Health Assembly, But IP Issues Unresolved

As the world looks to the World Health Assembly for a plan of action in case of pandemic, delegates are negotiating remaining parts of a framework for pandemic influenza preparedness, and an associated model agreement for the movement of virus and vaccine-related materials.

A procedural agreement might come as early as Tuesday afternoon, but it remains to be seen whether agreement can be reached on how to handle uncompleted work.

Kaitlin Mara
May 19, 2009

WHO Members Fail To Finish Pandemic Flu Preparations

A series of meetings intended to set out a global framework for dealing with a potential pandemic completed its last session Saturday night with progress made but several essential issues still uncompleted.

Kaitlin Mara
May 18, 2009
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WHO Meeting On Pandemic Flu Reconvenes Under Pressure

As cases of swine flu in humans pile up and fears that a more serious outbreak could occur in the future, member states, drug manufacturers and public health advocates gather Friday and Saturday to see if they can come up with a way to facilitate sharing of both viruses and vaccine related materials.
Intellectual property laws are a key point of contention at the reconvened meeting.

Kaitlin Mara
May 15, 2009

French Parliament Passes Final Internet Anti-Piracy Law; Reaction Expected

The French Senate’s vote on Wednesday sealed the adoption by the Parliament of the controversial French HADOPI law creating a graduated punishment mechanism for alleged copyright infringement on the internet.

Seven Names Said To Be Chosen For Top WIPO Posts

Word is out among Geneva diplomats that seven officials have been informally proposed to be the next cabinet of World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Francis Gurry.

William New
May 13, 2009

WIPO Patent Cooperation Committee To Proceed With Study With Constraints

World Intellectual Property Organization members on Friday overcame anxiety about overreaching of the UN body and agreed to study the Patent Cooperation Treaty, including proposals aimed at improving the efficiency and implementation of the treaty, taking into account some members’ concerns.

Kaitlin Mara
May 12, 2009
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WIPO Members Move Ahead On Development Agenda Implementation

Members of the World Intellectual Property Organization in difficult negotiations last week approved a new plan for implementation of recommendations for deepening WIPO’s development focus, according to participants.

William New
May 4, 2009

Greenidge To Step Down As Director Of IFPMA

Alicia Greenidge, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), has stepped down from the post.

Kaitlin Mara
May 1, 2009

Panel Reminds WIPO Of UN Mandate; Call For Independent Evaluation

The World Intellectual Property Organization should infuse its United Nations mandate and other aspects of the WIPO Development Agenda into all its norm-setting activities, panellists said this week.

Catherine Saez
April 30, 2009

WIPO Members Discuss New Methodology For Development Agenda

Member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization are trying this week to agree on implementation of a new development dimension for the UN body and the global intellectual property system. And they have a new methodology proposed by the WIPO secretariat as a starting point.

William New
April 27, 2009
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