IP5 Discuss Patent Harmonisation
Officials from the IP5, the five largest intellectual property offices in the world, met this week to move forward on harmonising patent law procedure between the offices.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Innovation/ R&D
Data From Clinical Trials Identify Gaps In Health R&D
Lower-income countries receive much less attention in terms of clinical trial research, according to a study published in this month’s World Health Organization (WHO) Bulletin. The study also underscored the value and importance the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) provides as a resource for evaluating the distribution of clinical trials around the world, and for providing information for future policy on health R&D.
White House Takes Major Action Against “Patent Trolls”
The White House today announced “major steps to improve innovation in high tech patents” by restricting activities of “patent assertion entities,” also known as “patent trolls.” The list included five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations.
MPAA, US Blind Federation Urge Narrow Focus In WIPO Treaty For Blind
The US film industry and advocates for the blind joined forces today to urge World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators to keep treaty talks focussed on the core issue of making more books available to the blind and visually impaired. The joint statement appeared to be aimed at reining in stakeholders on both sides of the international debate.
WIPO Delegates Trying To Find Consensus On Technical Assistance And Designs
Members of a World Intellectual Property Organization committee working towards a treaty to simplify the international registration of industrial designs are finding it difficult to agree whether the draft treaty text should include articles on technical assistance and capacity building, or whether a resolution should be left to a top-level meeting on the subject.
The Design Community’s Current And Future IP Challenges
A panel of professionals working in the design industry this week gave their views on the interaction between intellectual property, innovation and design.
Financial IP Exchange To Launch First Contract Offering In June
The Intellectual Property Exchange International Inc. (IPXI), the world’s first financial exchange that facilitates non-exclusive licensing and trading of IP rights, will start offering a licence contract in June.
Civil Society Observer At UPOV Gets A Public Face
The Association for Plant Breeding for the Benefit of Society (APBREBES) announced that its website is now online and its first newsletter has been issued.
Despite Economic Growth, Africa Struggles To Meet All MDGs
Despite increased economic growth over the past decade, Africa will not reach some of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets set forth in 2000 by the United Nations, including halving poverty by 2015, according to a UN report released yesterday.
Publishers Challenge Quality Of Open Educational Resources
The International Publishers Association (IPA) has published a paper that raises questions about the quality, sustainability, and public funding of Open Educational Resources (OER).
World Health Assembly: IP Considerations Play Key Role In Final Outcomes
Wrapping up one day early, the 66th World Health Assembly adopted a range of public health resolutions and decisions, some with key intellectual property implications, including a decision to convene a technical meeting on new public health R&D projects, a compromise on advancing the poor quality medicines mechanism, and resolutions on both neglected tropical diseases and noncommunicable diseases. Importantly, the novel coronavirus situation drew attention to WHO’s progress in pandemic influenza preparedness.
Technical Assistance A Challenge For WIPO Treaty On Industrial Designs
Another World Intellectual Property Organization committee opened with the prospect of achieving progress on a potential treaty text this week. The committee is trying to establish an instrument that would simplify the international registration of industrial designs.