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Genetic Origin In Food And Agriculture Difficult To Identify, Say Seed Treaty Officials

Global food security lies in the capacity to access and contribute to a wide pool of genetic material, the chair of the United Nations treaty on plant genetic material said on the margin of this week’s World Intellectual Property Organization meeting on the protection of genetic resources. But the origin of this genetic material is often impossible to determine, particularly for crops, the treaty secretary said.

Fate Of Google Book Search Still To Come, Expert Says

A few years ago, internet giant Google had the idea to digitise tens of millions of the world’s books and ran into legal trouble with the publishers and authors of some of them. The cases have moved through many stages, but the ultimate fate of the massive amounts of knowledge it could have made available to the public is still to come, says a Washington, DC lawyer who has followed the case closely for years.

Tracking IP Influencers’ Latest Moves

From changes in policymaking leadership and staffing shake-ups to a flurry of hiring in law firms and new strategic alliances, the past few months have been an interesting time for IP people watching. With over 40 news items and over 80 names, here’s a substantial update on who’s who across governments, nonprofit organisations, and the private sector.

Indigenous Peoples Rights’ Reaffirmed By UN Rapporteur, Panellists, At WIPO

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People, James Anaya, was invited to speak at the opening of the World Intellectual Property Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) yesterday. Along with other indigenous peoples representatives, he called for more participation of indigenous peoples in the process and a focus on the protection of their traditional knowledge, while WIPO raised alarm on the almost thorough depletion of the voluntary fund allowing the participation of indigenous peoples.

Push For EU-US FTA Could Restart Discussions About IPRs

The high-level Munich Security Conference this weekend saw a considerable push for going forward with a Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). Both US Vice-President Joe Biden and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle said such an agreement is within reach. But according to experts, negotiations also could re-open discussions on intellectual property protection.