Category Environment

WIPO Report Indicates Unprecedented Rise In Renewable Energy Tech Innovation

A new report commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Organization shows a huge increase in patent filings related to renewable energy technologies relative averages. The patent landscape in this area indicates that innovation is taking place across a greater geographical scope, and is shifting towards the global East. The report, presented this week, opens up questions for policymakers, and for further research regarding drivers for these trends and other measures of innovation.

Julia Fraser
June 13, 2014
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TRIPS Council Debates Non-Violations, Innovation, Green Tech Transfer

Whether countries can bring intellectual property complaints against each other under the World Trade Organization even if they don’t violate WTO rules was a topic of debate this week, but could not be resolved.

Small Farmers’ Rights Sidelined In Uganda’s Plant Breeding Regulation

In a country with over 35 million people, Uganda’s economy is based on agriculture. Over 80 percent of the country’s workforce is employed in the sector, contributing up to 23 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

UN Advisor Denounces Junk Food As ‘Culprit’ In Rising NCDs, Calls For Change

Governments must assert the human right to health and take action against the massive rise in obesity globally, brought about by the widespread availability and pervasive marketing of unhealthy “junk” foods, Anand Grover, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, urged today.

Catherine Saez
June 11, 2014

Panels Highlight Community Participation In Development Of Technologies

LAUSANNE - Community-driven innovation and technologies could be a solution for developing essential technologies to achieve sustainable development, according to a range of expert panels at a recent event. And in some cases, they already are.

JosÃ©phine De Ruyck, MaÃ«li Astruc and JosÃ©phine De Ruyck, MaÃ«li Astruc
June 11, 2014
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African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) Joins UPOV

The Geneva-based Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) announced yesterday that the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) became its seventy-second member.

Access To Vaccines, Patents Growing Concerns, Panellists Say

LYON, France - At the Biovision life science forum looking into translating innovation into health-related solutions last week, a panel of speakers shared their experience about the global access to vaccines. Although vaccination coverage is on the rise and intellectual property has not been a major concern in the past decade for vaccines, patents may well become a barrier in the future, panellists said.

Catherine Saez
June 10, 2014

Sustainable Energy Supply Models Discussed At UNESCO Conference

LAUSANNE - Energy installation projects in developing countries are often not sustainable, and can lead to breakdown of technologies reliant on energy supply such as medical devices, said speakers at a conference on technologies for development last week. A sustainable model, productive use of energy and receiver participation and training are essential to ensure continued operation of energy supply infrastructure, they said.

Julia Fraser
June 9, 2014

Innovation Hubs, Green Technology Transfer On Agenda Of TRIPS Council

The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee will meet next week with some new issues on the agenda. Ecuador has requested the continuance of a discussion on the transfer of green technologies, and Taiwan and the United States have proposed an agenda item on innovation incubators.

WHO Director Chan Stresses Polio, Inequity, Climate, Junk Food, Supremacy Of Health Over Economic Interests

World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan opened the annual World Health Assembly today with strong calls to address a wide range of top health concerns across the world. This included a call for the global health community to work to assert the primacy of health concerns over economic interests.

William New
May 19, 2014
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International Seed Treaty Brainstorming For Sustainability

A working group established by the international seed treaty of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) this week is examining ways to raise its income level, in particular innovative approaches to attract more industry participation.

IP-Watch Subscribers – Updated List Of IP Delegates In Geneva

The Geneva IP delegates list is updated! As a special feature for our subscribers, Intellectual Property Watch has assembled a new list of many of the leading government delegates working on intellectual property issues in Geneva.

Julia Fraser, MaÃ«li Astruc and Julia Fraser, MaÃ«li Astruc
May 13, 2014