Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The government of Brazil has issued a license that will allow the importation of cheaper versions of a patented HIV/AIDS drug after negotiations failed to bring about agreement on price reductions with Merck, the US…
Par Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Lors d’une récente conférence, un représentant américain a exposé certains des motifs qui ont poussé les Etats-Unis à déposer plainte contre la Chine devant l’Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC) pour dénoncer le non-respect des droits…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A team from the independent investigative arm of the United States Congress visited Geneva last week, interviewing insiders from the private sector, non-governmental and international organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding how the…
By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch
US technology firm Qualcomm this week raised the spectre that if Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia does not comply with demands within four months, a long-running worldwide intellectual property dispute between the two companies could potentially escalate. But so far, Nokia has stated its position and shows no sign of moving.
For now, the expected patent war between Qualcomm and Nokia has been delayed. Industry observers had expected Qualcomm to bring a slew of costly suits against Nokia in April for allegedly infringing its extensive patent portfolio. A patent war would pitch two of the largest mobile technology companies in the world against each other, which could have an impact on worldwide consumers' access to mobile technology products.
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch International organisations should step in to prevent the “tasting,” “kiting” and “spying” related to Internet domain names, say representatives from the US telecommunications and trademark industries. These new activities are dramatically altering online…
Por William New BEIJING – Países en desarrollo clave, como Brasil, China, India y Sudáfrica, potencian sus esfuerzos, de forma proporcional a su creciente poder económico, para influenciar el establecimiento de normas internacionales. China también utiliza cada vez más programas…
By William New The United States Trade Representative’s office on 30 April announced the elevation of its pressure on China, Russia, Thailand, and others to better protect US intellectual property rights. But the announcement stirred reactions by accentuating the increasingly…
By William New
Switzerland is known for its neutrality in many international forums, but when it comes to intellectual property rights, it generally has an opinion in favour, unsurprising given its high number of rights holders. Last week at the World Intellectual Property Organization, the government showed how it can make a move to favour IP rights in an international forum while retaining that special art of Swiss diplomacy.
The Working Group on Reform of the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) held its ninth session from 23 to 26 April. The PCT, which allows recognition of a patent filed in one nation to be recognised in all PCT members, is an important contributor to WIPO’s finances through fees it charges.
At the meeting, Switzerland again prepared to put forward a proposal to amend the PCT regulations to "explicitly enable the national patent legislation" to require the declaration of the source of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications. This would leave it up to the national level to decide whether to make disclosure part of national law. It would allow that disclosure could take place at the national level or later during the international phase, said the proposal, PCT/R/WG/9/5.
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A European Commission proposal to criminalise intentional, for-profit intellectual property counterfeiting and piracy won backing from the European Parliament on 25 April. The 374-278 first-reading vote on an amended version of the IP…
By William New BEIJING – China’s rapid development can be seen everywhere in the capital, where the skyline is perforated by construction cranes in all directions. But China’s vigorous effort to update structures does not stop at its borders. China…