Original news and analysis on international IP policy
When visual artists sell their work, they usually perceive a price for that work. If it is resold at a much higher price, some countries provide for a resale right, providing artists with resale royalties. In other countries, such a right does not exist, putting visual artists in a disadvantageous situation, particularly indigenous artists, whose work can become very valuable on the international art markets.
Q. Todd Dickinson is a shareholder at Polsinelli law firm, and was director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under President Clinton, a former lead IP counsel for two Fortune 50 corporations, and most recently executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). In an interview with Intellectual Property Watch on 18 November in the margins of the IP Dealmakers conference in New York, Dickinson discussed US prospects for national and international IP policy after the presidential election, changes in Geneva, reform of US IP law, and repairing relationships.
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Patent protection is a challenge to many an inventor in developing countries. Inventors in most African countries, for instance, are compelled to surmount huge obstacles to protect their inventions. In order to remedy the situation, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum has launched an Inventor Assistance Programme (IAP). Now, the local inventor community in Kenya has a few words for WIPO on how to expand the programme to make it more effective on the ground. Trust is one of them.
A new international alliance to support the United Nations Resolution on Antimicrobial Resistance was launched this week. The Conscience of Antimicrobial Resistance Accountability (CARA) aims to bring together organisations committing to reporting on mutually agreed upon indicators in countries around the world, and to hold the UN and other stakeholders accountable to their commitments.
A range of practitioners and representatives in the manufacture of medicines, intergovernmental officials, academics and civil society representatives last week gave diverse views on the effectiveness of a waiver to international trade rules intended to ease shipments of affordable medicines to low-income countries.
Trade secrets have gained the favour of a growing number of companies, according to speakers at a side event held in the margins of last week’s World Trade Organization intellectual property committee meeting. Organised by the European Union, Japan, and the United States, the side event explored the reasons why companies choose to protect their innovations through trade secrets.
The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee this week discussed the report of United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on access to medicines which offered recommendations regarding the use of intellectual property in international trade. Developing countries taking the floor accentuated the use of flexibilities under trade rules, and the World Health Organization gave an overview of how its activities follow the panel's recommendations, and its future projects. Civil society meanwhile criticised the WHO’s decision to dismiss a request by some developing countries to include discussions on the UN report at the next Executive Board Meeting.
A much-anticipated report on progress in global access to essential medicines released today has found that change is needed to the system of paying for research and development, including moving beyond sole reliance on patents to cover R&D costs. It calls for a global R&D policy framework, a possible patent pool for essential medicines, addresses financing issues, and claims to have developed a new cost model. Meanwhile, comments ranged from two ministers from the Netherlands said the system is broken while a leading industry executive criticised it for questioning the patent system.
The Indian Drug Technical Advisory Board meeting on 7 November is expected to discuss a measure that could lead to opening the way to a 10-year data exclusivity period for originator pharmaceutical companies in India, according to the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. The alliance submitted a letter to the advisory board to warn against consequences on public health of data exclusivity if the Indian government “succumbs to” pressure by the United States.
Mark L. Whitaker, a veteran intellectual property trial lawyer and partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group in Washington, DC, has been named president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
Mario Ottiglio is stepping down as director of public affairs, communications & global health policy at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Geneva. He will be staying in Geneva as the managing director of the new office of the High Lantern Group, a US consulting firm.
The Russian intellectual property industry is on the verge of a new scandal. Following the recent arrest of Sergey Fedotov, head of the Russian Authors’ Society (RAS), Russia’s leading public association for the protection of intellectual property rights, on the charge of multi-million ruble thefts, the Russian police has announced the initiation of criminal proceedings against Maxim Ryabyko, head of the Russian Association for the Protection of Copyright on the Internet (RAPCI).