Original news and analysis on international IP policy
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.
Johannesburg - There are strong indications that South Africa may join – and lead the charge - in the establishment of the controversial Pan-African Intellectual Property Office (PAIPO).
As the World Intellectual Property Organization’s patent law committee grapples with starkly differing positions on the topic of patents and health, the secretariats of WIPO, the World Health Organization and World Trade Organization presented to members how their first trilateral study on access to medical technologies and innovation could be used as an effective resource. While the secretariats emphasised the neutral, informative nature of the book, some members pointed to a need for greater analysis of the challenges developing countries face when trying to use patent flexibilities for access to medicines.
Johannesburg, South Africa -- The start of the Africa IP conference was the scene of a surprise protest action by Treatment Action Campaign health activists who ambushed the stage as South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies was about to welcome delegates to the three-day conference.
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).
A United Nations agency has linked shipments of fraudulent pharmaceuticals with cocaine trafficking and smuggling of migrants as illegal activities carried out by transnational organised crime syndicates that are contributing to instability in West Africa.
Least developed countries next week will ask that World Trade Organization members grant them another extension of the transition period to enforce intellectual property protection measures beyond the current date of 1 July 2013. In addition, the issues of plain packaging for tobacco products and innovation will be back on the agenda of the WTO intellectual property committee.
After months of delay, the Standing Committee of the Law of Patents (SCP) opened a meeting on 25 February at the World Intellectual Property Organization and will endeavour to advance negotiations on highly contentious issues including quality of patents, patents and health, and exceptions and limitations to patent rights.
A week of arduous negotiations and doubts at the World Intellectual Property Organization about progress on a text to become a treaty for the benefit of visually impaired people was concluded positively yesterday with a sigh of relief by most delegations, and observers. A new text was issued and even though most deemed that crucial issues were addressed, some are outstanding and delegates will meet again in April to continue their drafting efforts.
Consensus remains elusive for World Intellectual Property Organization trying to prepare a text for final negotiations on an international instrument facilitating access to books and information to blind people, and some countries are growing concerned.
Delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization working to clean the text of a potential treaty facilitating access to books for visually impaired people produced a new version this morning.
South-East Asia is host to one-third of the world’s 39 million blind people. Over 20 million live in India alone. This week’s special session of the World Intellectual Property Organization aims to clean up the text of an international treaty to facilitate access to books for the blind and visually impaired community. It is thus of prime importance for India, and some there worry that issues such as commercial availability could undermine the treaty’s effectiveness.