Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A recent European Union regulation on customs enforcement of intellectual property rights has raised concerns among civil society actors who find that the regulation might not be an improvement over its previous version under which seizure of legal generic medicines in transit occurred a few years ago, leading to a World Trade Organization dispute.
The GAVI Alliance launched a mid-term report this week showing that the public-private partnership is on track to immunise more than 250 million children by 2015 and prevent some four million deaths. GAVI’s CEO said it uses multiple tools to help reduce prices of vaccine and that intellectual property rights do not pose a serious threat to its success.
Infojustice.org reports: Last week, the report Brazilian Patent Reform: Innovation Towards Competitiveness was launched at an event at the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee last week agreed on a draft decision on disputes that are not in direct violation of WTO IP rules but where one country’s measures negatively affect another country’s expected benefits. Plain packaging for tobacco products was also discussed as Ireland is preparing to introduce such a measure meant to discourage tobacco use, and some countries presented their views on the importance of IP rights in sports.
The World Health Organization is putting the finishing touches on an implementation plan for industry's financial participation in the global influenza preparedness strategy. This week the advisory group met to discuss a draft plan presented by the WHO secretariat, which should now come up with a revised version for implementation in early 2014, according to the chair of the advisory group.
A seminar on the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications was held at the United Nations last week with panellists exploring the intersection between intellectual property and human rights in the context of public health, agriculture, and the role of flexibilities to achieve balance between private and public interests.
The US Chamber of Commerce's Global Intellectual Property Center organised a panel during the World Trade Organization Public Forum last week to explore what industry sees as challenges of trade in the digital age. Three panellists presented concerns - mainly counterfeiting - and solutions they have put in place to address such challenges.
A newly awarded patent on a process allowing parents to choose genetic traits from prospective donors for their children is creating a buzz in the United States and beyond.
A closed-door working group under the World Health Organization will meet next week to continue working out details of a plan for companies to pay for the right to use influenza virus strains to potentially develop patented treatments.
The upcoming meeting of the World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property includes a newcomer on the agenda. The European Union, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States have requested an agenda item on intellectual property and sports.
The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body has established a panel on a complaint by Honduras against Australia's measure to require tobacco to be sold in plain packaging as a public health measure.
Differences on how nations view patent law and the need for more international harmonisation became apparent this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization annual General Assembly.