Original news and analysis on international IP policy
At the World Intellectual Property Organization meeting on protection of genetic resources last week, the secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) organised a side event to introduce the key features and recent developments of the international protocol on access and benefit-sharing of such resources.
The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office has appointed its fourth IP attaché, this time to represent UK businesses in the 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The coming year promises to be very interesting at the intersection of intellectual property with biotechnology and biodiversity. Patentability of human genes in the United States, of conventionally bred plants in Europe, plant breeders' rights and the management of regulatory authorisations when patents on genetic traits expire, the future of genetically modified organisms in developing countries, and the usual resistance they are meeting from civil society and famers' groups are some of the issues that will continue to feed debates – and potentially create opportunities - in 2013.
Manila, Philippines – The Republic of Korea, or South Korea, has signed an agreement with Vietnam for stronger collaboration in the area of copyright protection. This reflects South Korea's continuing and more aggressive campaign to protect its copyrighted works here in southeast Asia.
The United States Department of Justice today announced it has reached a settlement with Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, for allegedly conspiring with Apple Inc. to raise e-book prices.
At the end of a weeklong drafting exercise, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates have produced a text on the protection of genetic resources that appears to be headed to the organisation's annual General Assembly next September. And some members hope that a high-level meeting will be convened in the course of 2014 to agree on an international instrument or instruments protecting genetic resources against misappropriation.
The second revision of a text on the protection of genetic resources was provided to the World Intellectual Property Organization country delegates this morning. The document, which has been streamlined by facilitators, contains a number of bracketed text, showing divergences which will require further work, including resolving how to track origin of genetic material in patent applications.
The first revision of what could become an international instrument on the protection of genetic resources was issued this morning and submitted for comments from World Intellectual Property Organization delegates.
The European Commission has launched an initiative called “Licences for Europe” aimed at promoting copyright licences, as a next step in maintaining traditional copyright in light of new digital technologies.
Delegates attending the World Intellectual Property Organization's committee on genetic resources this week restated their long-held positions on the issue at the start of the meeting yesterday before letting a secluded expert group try to bridge gaps.
The 15th IP Law Summit, produced by Marcus Evans, is scheduled for 21-23 March in Colorado Springs, Colorado, US. Gathering corporate senior IP Counsel together with service providers, the Summit will offer a focused discussion of cutting-edge technology, strategy and products driving the IP marketplace.
The high-level Munich Security Conference this weekend saw a considerable push for going forward with a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Both US Vice-President Joe Biden and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle said such an agreement is within reach. But according to experts, negotiations also could re-open discussions on intellectual property protection.