Category Human Rights

Stop Treating Symptoms And Start Curing Diseases: The End Of Graduated Response

Rene Summer writes: The debate about copyright enforcement – whether rights holders’ unshakable conviction in the effectiveness of graduated responses is rational – has reached a watershed. This is not to say that there aren’t any ongoing, well-funded lobby campaigns around the world aimed at convincing policy makers to revert to the practice of some form of graduated response. Nor am I saying that there aren’t any other important considerations, such as the rights of citizens and intermediaries, to be weighted in when debating copyright enforcement, lessening the case for such practices. Rather, what I am saying is that arguing for graduated responses can no longer be done on efficiency grounds without at the same time being intellectually dishonest.

WHO Now Charging Fees For Drug Prequalification, Raising Access Fears

The World Health Organization, the United Nations health agency in persistent financial straits, has announced it must begin charging a fee to manufacturers seeking prequalification of their vaccines and diagnostics. The announcement stirred concern among public health advocates that it might have a negative effect for procurement and access to life-saving medicines.

UN Experts To UK: National Security Concerns Must Never Justify Intimidating Journalists

United Nations independent experts on freedom of expression and on human rights and counter-terrorism today announced that they have requested information from the United Kingdom government on the recent detention of David Miranda, partner of the Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald at Heathrow Airport, London, and the reported destruction of computer hard drives by British officials at the Guardian newspaper.

WIPO Forum Presents Four “Game-Changers” In Innovation

The World Intellectual Property Organization later this month will hold a forum on innovation featuring four "world-renowned pioneers from the fields of medicine, architecture and industrial design," as a way to bring common insights to intellectual property policymakers and stakeholders working to achieve a "balanced, inclusive" IP system.

Interviews: What Protection Of Traditional Knowledge Means To Indigenous Peoples

World Intellectual Property Organization member states in July concluded the biennium work of the committee tasked with finding agreement on international legal tools to prevent misappropriation and misuse of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Indigenous peoples and local communities are holders of a substantial part of this knowledge and are demanding that it be protected against misappropriation but also against its use without their consent. Intellectual Property Watch recently conducted two interviews on the issue with different indigenous groups.