How To Avert The Coming Drug Access Crisis
Interview With Ellen ‘t Hoen, Senior IP Advisor At UNITAID, author of "The Global Politics of Pharmaceutical Monopoly Power."
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
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Intérêt croissant pour les IG : une réforme internationale est nécessaire selon les partisans
TERUEL, ESPAGNE – Les indications géographiques (IG), qui favorisent une croissance économique durable et offrent une garantie de qualité, servent à la fois les intérêts des producteurs et ceux des consommateurs. Telle est la conclusion d’une réunion à haut niveau…
Special Report: The Swedish Author’s Take On The Catcher In The Rye Copyright Case
COPENHAGEN – Windupbird Publishing owned by Swedish author Fredrik Colting, alias John David California, promises that its books will “tickle your feet and yank your soul.” But American author J.D. Salinger is not amused and has indeed been wound up by Colting's latest book, which he says is infringing on the copyright of his best-seller, "Catcher in the Rye." A New York court recently sided with Salinger, but Intellectual Property Watch talked to Colting about why the battle is bound to go on.
G8: Amid Talks Of Climate, Economy, Food And Health Lies IP & Innovation
Leaders of the seven biggest economies and Russia (G8) at their annual summit this week in L'Aquila, Italy have made very cautious commitments with regard to the top issue, climate change, but views on intellectual property rights enforcement began to become clear on the second day. The summit so far has addressed issues related to trade, development, terrorism, and also innovation and IP.
Statements in the leaders' Wednesday declaration with regard to intellectual property called for a firm push for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which is unchanged from the past. But the G8 IP Expert Group (IPEG) on Thursday published the results of its discussion in which they went into more detail on some issues.
WCO Kills “SECURE” Group, But Creates Health Enforcement Mandate
The World Customs Organization at its annual assembly in late June replaced a controversial group on counterfeiting and piracy with a softer dialogue mechanism that may defuse earlier concerns of potential overreaching on intellectual property infringement by customs officials. But it added a new mandate on health to a separate committee on enforcement that could raise new concerns.
EU Finds Anti-Competitive Abuse Of Pharmaceutical Patents, Launches Antitrust Action
Pharmaceutical companies are manipulating the intellectual property rights system and are “actively trying to delay the entry of generic medicines onto their markets,” a top EU official said of an EU inquiry into the pharmaceutical sector released Wednesday. As a result, there has been a decline in the number of innovative medicines getting to the market, it says.
Kenyan AIDS Patients Seek To Overturn Anti-Counterfeiting Law As Unconstitutional
NAIROBI - Three HIV/AIDS patients in Kenya announced Tuesday they will petition the country's Constitutional Court to declare a new anti-counterfeiting act illegal because it could deny them access to generic medicines. The move, which has the support of public health groups across the country, seeks to have the 2008 Anti-Counterfeiting Act made unconstitutional on the grounds that it could rob them of their right to life.
Special Report – ICANN: New CEO, New Government Role, Accelerated International Domains
With three important processes coming to a head at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) this year, it is difficult not to overlook some changes in the private body, which oversees the internet domain name system. At ICANN's recent board meeting, the appointment of a shiny new CEO, former United States Homeland Security Department cybersecurity director Rod Beckstrom, drew attention away from top issues, which include the introduction of new top-level domains, ongoing institutional reform, and the looming September expiration of the ICANN-US government agreement.
Late-Night Breakdown On Traditional Knowledge At WIPO; Future Unclear
The World Intellectual Property Organization committee on the protection of indigenous knowledge, expressions and genetic resources failed to reach consensus on future work Friday, putting the future of the committee in the hands of the WIPO General Assemblies in September.
Collaborative Innovation And ICTs Could Give Economy Back Its Colours
Innovation and technology will be key to emergence from the global economic crisis, according to speakers at a recent United Nations conference on innovation-based competitiveness. However, innovation should be collaborative and involve resources inside and outside companies and institutions.
US Cablevision Decision Has Implications For Cloud Computing, Online Advertising
A recent United States Supreme Court order letting stand a decision that a proposed remote digital video recorder does not violate copyright law has major implications for internet “cloud computing” and advertisers, intellectual property lawyers say.
WIPO Members Seek Deal To Negotiate On Traditional Knowledge Protection
World Intellectual Property Organization members this week are intensively working toward agreement on a proposal to start negotiations for a tool to better protect traditional knowledge, genetic resources, and traditional cultural expressions, after nearly a decade of talking about the subject.