Category Innovation/ R&D

WHO Guidelines May Help With Price Reductions For Hepatitis C Drugs

Guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C released by the World Health Organization today recommend revolutionary new drugs for the virus. However, the exorbitant price of these drugs means they will remain out of reach for most of the millions infected. The WHO guidelines themselves offer limited recommendation for reducing prices, but may help in creating the conditions for price reduction by accruing demand and giving countries official backing in price negotiations.

Book Analyses Chinese IP And Technology Laws

The recently published book “Chinese Intellectual Property and Technology Laws” provides the “first” overview of Chinese IP and technology law, supported by extensive legal, historical and socioeconomic background to developments in these areas.

University Of Geneva Internet L@w Summer School In June

The University of Geneva is launching an Internet l@w summer school which will take place from June 16 to June 27, 2014.

The Internet l@w summer school offers the opportunity to learn and discuss internet law and policies with experts from leading institutions including the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, the Internet Society, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as from other prestigious academic or governmental institutions and global internet companies (eBay and Google).

Topics to be covered include privacy and surveillance, free speech, telecom and internet infrastructure, intellectual property, antitrust, choice of court & choice of law, on-line contracts, consumer protection, legal issues of social media and cloud computing.

The website of the Internet l@w summer school is: www.internetlaw-geneva.ch

Registration deadline: May 15, 2014 (early bird: April 15).

IP Law Europe Summit To Be Held In June

marcus evans is pleased to announce the IP Law Europe Summit taking place 2-3 June 2014 at Le Meridien Beach Plaza Monte Carlo in Monaco.

In the era of the global knowledge economy, the subject of IP has become increasingly contentious and publicly debated. Its reach has exploded across virtually every domain: policy, digital media, public health, human rights, and the environment. Meanwhile, never before has information been so easily replicable or technology so convergent.

The IP Law Europe Summit is the premium forum bringing together leading in-house IP counsel with international law firms, IP attorneys and legal services providers. The Summit offers regional IP executives an intimate environment for a focused discussion of key new drivers shaping the IP industry.

Key topics being discussed will include IP strategy and operations, cost-containment, latest developments in patent legislation in EU and US, technology and innovation, and more. Leading these discussions are senior IP executives from companies like WIPO, Microsoft, Swarovski, and Dolby International. Delegates will include senior executives responsible for IP decision-making in the areas of Patents, Trademark, Copyright, Litigation and/or Legal Affairs. Each participant at the summit will be eligible to earn SRA CPD credits.

Between session presentations and networking, in-house IP counsel and service providers engage in pre-scheduled, mutually selected one-on-one business meetings. Over the course of the event, each senior executive representing their service provider company is guaranteed a minimum of 10-12 meetings, each strictly timed to 30 minutes.

For more information, visit the online info sheet here: http://www.iplawsummiteurope.com/marketing_434

USPTO Creates Office Of International Patent Cooperation

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the creation of a new Office of International Patent Cooperation (OIPC), aimed at implementation of US patent cooperation efforts and helping to harmonise patent systems for the benefit of businesses and others.

EU Wrestles With Procedure For Signing Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union recently approved a compromise proposal by the Greek presidency, setting up a decision on the EU Council’s signing later this month of the Marrakesh Treaty on access to books for blind and visually impaired persons. However, some EU members raised that the treaty lies within a shared competency between the EU and its member states.

Alternative Therapies, Incentive Models Eyed For Antibiotic Resistance

As bacteria become more and more resistant to existing medicines, product pipelines are drying up. A solution may lie in a forgotten therapy developed in 1917, the use of which has been restricted to certain parts of Eastern Europe ever since the discovery and universal use of antibiotics. But business models and intellectual property regimes need to change to provide incentives for research and development in this area.

WHO Members Discuss Engagement With Non-State Actors This Week

The World Health Organization this week is holding an information consultation with member states on the UN agency's engagement with “non-state actors.” The meeting follows a request by member states at the January WHO Executive Board to pursue discussions on a framework for the organisation's engagement with non-state actors, which has been changing in recent years.