Conference Addresses Current Issues For Corporate IP Counsel
New York - A conference here this week aimed at corporate counsel for intellectual property addressed a range of issues of interest to that audience.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Biodiversity/Genetic Resources/Biotech
UN Agencies To Examine International Standards, Potential Value For Developing Countries
Five United Nations agencies are joining efforts to tackle the rising issue of private standards which they say are affecting developing countries' exports by creating market entry hurdles for those countries. A new forum will be launched this week, and will establish its priority issues.
On Plant Patents, EPO President Backs Industry, Disregards EU Parliament, Group Says
A civil society coalition fighting patents on conventional plants in Europe has published a briefing paper alleging that the European Patent Office is giving a "green light" to patents on plants and animals, disregarding the position of the European Parliament.
Report On Seed Giants’ Initiatives To Preserve Monopoly On Global Food
A report released yesterday by the non-profit ETC Group claims that six companies are seeking to control current priorities and the future direction of agricultural research. According to the report, giant seed companies are launching initiatives to preserve their IP rights and deflate antitrust concerns.
Monsanto v. Bowman: Stocktaking After Supreme Court Hearings
The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the case opposing a US farmer to agro-industry giant Monsanto on the issue of patent exhaustion in patented seeds. Lead lawyers in the case and others offered comments on the heels of the hearing, while the Supreme Court Justices are considering the arguments and are expected to reach a decision sometime this spring.
Speakers Outline Ideas For Africa To Find Appropriate IP Policies
Johannesburg, South Africa - Africa is still held captive by colonial borders and has failed to collectively leverage benefit-sharing agreements that result from multinationals’commercial pursuit of indigenous knowledge, said speakers at the Africa IP conference this week.
Global Health Giants, Trade Deals, And IP Play Central Role In 2013 Public Health Policy
The role of intellectual property in a wide range of public health challenges - access to medicines, vaccine prices, procurement strategies, and research for diseases of the poor - is a focal point in 2013 cutting across national, regional, and international policymaking.
Change to UK Patents Act Removes Infringement For Use Of Clinical Trial Data
The United Kingdom government has announced a change to the UK Patents Act that it says will help keep the country’s life sciences industry at the forefront of innovation by removing certain risks of drug development companies infringing patents.
Report Finds Stronger Regulation Spurs Chemical Innovation
New research shows that more rigid laws regulating hazardous chemicals encourage innovation in both large and small companies, according to a report published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).
Monsanto, Myriad: Two US Legal Cases Shaking Biotech Industries
The biotechnology industry has growing concerns over decisions to be taken this year by the United States Supreme Court in two cases involving the patenting of human genes and the exhaustion of patent rights in the context of easily reproducible products. Several areas of biotechnology could be affected by unfavourable decisions, provoking legal uncertainty and discouraging innovation, industry representatives said in a recent telephone conference. In the meantime, civil society stands fast in opposition.