Original news and analysis on international IP policy
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab announced on 7 August a review of a key programme offering duty-free access for products exported by developing countries to the US market. The review will look at whether key trading partners still should be…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Assistance on intellectual property rights from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is helpful to developing countries but more coordination and a “reality check” are needed, according to Geneva-based government officials. The remarks were made by developing country…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen and William New A technical committee of the World Health Assembly on 24 May decided to wait until the next day to set up a short-term working group on two draft intellectual property resolutions, which…
Nations debating whether to harmonise national patent systems have turned their focus to developing country demands to include requirements that patent filers disclose the origin of genetic material and traditional knowledge. The debate is taking place in a 10-12 April…
By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen and William New A meeting on a development agenda at the World Intellectual Property Organization got off to a slow start after a half-day debate over who would chair the meeting. This took place in…
En vue de la prochaine réunion du nouveau Comité du plan d’action de l’Organisation Mondiale de la Propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) pour le développement, le gouvernement chilien a présenté cette semaine une proposition par laquelle il demande que des mesures concrètes…
The government of Chile this week submitted a proposal to an upcoming meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s new committee on the development agenda that calls for positive steps to protect information in the public domain. The first meeting…
By Steve Gibb for Intellectual Property Watch Washington, DC–A US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) plan to privatise a prestigious open-access environmental science journal is drawing criticism from Democrats in the US Congress and activists who say public…
The 20-22 June World Intellectual Property Organisation meeting to discuss the possible establishment of an agenda for development opened with, among other things, a proposal on how to discuss the proposals. Negotiators at the start of the second Inter-sessional Intergovernmental…
Members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on Friday failed to agree on the proper role for a permanent committee on technical cooperation that could impact larger efforts by some to reform WIPO toward development issues. Debate focused on…