Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A key committee of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing treaty aimed at ensuring fair sharing of the benefits of genetic resources is meeting this week in New Delhi.
After years of at times embarrassing political and procedural wrangling, members of the European Union today agreed to create a single patent system for 25 EU member states, including a unified patent court split between Paris, Munich and London. The decision also contains a copyright element.
It’s been called a patent war, and it’s raging over much of the globe. In at least ten countries - including the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and South Korea - Apple is locked in ferocious legal battles against Google, Samsung and HTC over whose smartphones and tablets infringe whose patents.
There’s a lot a stake: Damages could run into billions of dollars. Even worse, the loser could wind up being forbidden to sell its products in various markets.
This costly, high-stakes global patent war may seem unprecedented. But according to many experts, that’s only partly true. In many ways, this patent war is similar to major patent disputes in the past. And it is likely a foretaste of more patent wars in the future.
RIO DE JANEIRO - Many of the technologies that can make the world more sustainable are available today. But how to transfer such green technologies to those most in need of them remains a question on which there are starkly divergent views - even after last week’s much-anticipated Rio+20 leaders’ summit.
At its annual meeting this week in Boston, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), put its name to a report promoting the advantages of intellectual property rights for the industry.
A new pharmaceutical industry initiative aimed at improving access to HIV treatments in least-developed countries is raising questions as to how it will fit with the Medicines Patent Pool, an existing group with a similar mandate. As an informal meeting on the new initiative kicks off this week in New Delhi, scrutiny will be paid to whether the initiative’s drivers are several companies that have declined to negotiate with the patent pool and whether it is a good-faith effort to help the greatest number of patients.
A draft of the outcome document for this week’s Rio+20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said to be close to the final version, shows where governments have placed their focus. It appears that technology transfer is well-recognised, intellectual property rights to a lesser extent, but firm actions in these areas may still be to come.
As world leaders along with thousands of government, private sector and nonprofit participants, get ready to meet in Rio de Janeiro this week, 20 years after this Brazilian city hosted the historic first Earth Summit, there are fears that there may be no meaningful consensus on how the world can become more liveable and sustainable at the same time. And technology transfer, research and development, intellectual property rights are part of the debate.
The United Nations agency on trade and development this week published its Economic Development in Africa 2012 report, which argued, among other things, that the region’s sustainable future depends on using flexibilities in intellectual property rights as appropriate.
While the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office is reviewing the so-called "tomato case," collateral questions are being raised about the consequences on plant innovation of the non-patentability of some processes.
Informa has announced a range of upcoming events and courses on the essential aspects of intellectual property and technology of interest to Intellectual Property Watch readers. Here is the list:
Events:
IP Dispute Resolution - 28 - 29 June 2012, Grange City Hotel, London, UK
European Trademarks 2012 – 3rd July 2012, Grange City Hotel, London, UK
Protecting Corporate Information – 5th July 2012, One Drummond Gate, London, UK
IT Law Summer School 2012 – 30 July - 3 August 2012, Downing College, Cambridge, UK
IP Summer School - 13 - 17 August 2012, Downing College, Cambridge, UK
Distance Learning Courses:
Computer and Communications Law LLM, PgDip - from Queen Mary, University of London
UK, EU & US Copyright Law LLM, PgDip - from King's College London
A conference entitled the "5th Product and Pipeline Enhancement for Generics" to be held in Washington, DC on 17-19 July will feature industry leaders in the generic, branded pharmaceutical and API industries. Issues covered will include current and upcoming changes in regulations and the market, innovation in drug pipeline, portfolio management and business development, intellectual property protection and biosimilars.