Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The World Intellectual Property Organization is facing the possibility of negative income for the first time in its history, the United Nations agency’s director general said Monday. Director General Francis Gurry made the remarks during a press conference on its annual report on trademark filings at WIPO in 2008 that showed a new record high for trademark registrations but signs of a slowdown late in the year.
Health advocates on Friday escalated their alarm over recent seizures by the Dutch government of shipments of legitimate generic pharmaceuticals passing through Europe on their way to developing countries. The European Commission has defended its actions as permissible under its own and international rules, but is being asked to look more carefully at those rules.
By Georg Greve
Interconnectivity, commoditisation and increased reuse and recombination are key trends within the maturing information and communication technologies (ICT) industry that drive innovation and development. Harnessing the innovative and economic potential of the ICT sector depends on a variety of factors, including open innovation models, such as free software.
The number and intensity of debates over the role of intellectual property rights in public health is set to increase in 2009.
New leadership and new mandates for key intergovernmental organisations implemented last year have created opportunity for change. And while old debates over the balance between IP rights and access to health products are not going away, this year will see more exploration at the intergovernmental level of different systems to stimulate innovation.
布鲁塞尔 - 全球公共卫生活跃分子声称，欧盟执意要在一系列自由贸易协议中添加有关医药专利的强硬规定将会妨害发展中国家获得医药。
ابروكسل- إن الجهود التي يبذلها الاتحاد الأوروبي لإدراج أحكام حول براءات المستحضرات الصيدلانية في سلسلة من اتفاقات التجارة الحرة التي يتفاوض حولها قد تشكل تهديدا على إمكانية الحصول على الأدوية في البلدان النامية، على حد قول الناشطين في مجال الصحة العامة على الصعيد العالمي.
BRUXELLES - Selon certains activistes de la santé publique mondiale, les efforts de l’Union européenne (UE) pour intégrer des dispositions sur les brevets pharmaceutiques dans un certain nombre d’accords de libre échange en cours de négociation pourraient mettre en péril l’accès aux médicaments dans les pays en développement.
BRUSELAS- Los esfuerzos de la Unión Europea para introducir disposiciones firmes en materia de patentes farmacéuticas en una serie de acuerdos de libre comercio que está negociando podrían poner en peligro el acceso a los medicamentos en los países en desarrollo, según han afirmado activistas de la salud pública a nivel mundial.
As the United States battles an economic meltdown, items like economic stimulus and home foreclosure relief are taking centre stage. Congress also is still working to confirm President Obama's nominees. But once those items are dealt with, issues such as patent reform and intellectual property enforcement are expected to be hot-button items once again.
French legislators are putting the final touches on controversial legislation that will likely lead to the most governmentally-proactive law intended to curb illegal file sharing among any other European Union member state.