Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The German Constitutional Court today ruled in favour of the “freedom to sample” - or freedom to remix - in a case between the singer/songwriter Sabrina Setlur and the band Kraftwerk.
Last week, the World Intellectual Property Organization held a seminar on intellectual property and genetic resources. For over a decade, WIPO members have been discussing ways to protect genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge from misappropriation. The seminar allowed speakers from different regions and interests to offer their views on the topic.
World Health Organization members sent a clear signal at the annual Assembly last week when they committed to step up efforts to find ways to fund research into diseases that results in affordable products, according to the top WHO official working on these issues.
"Tobacco-related illness is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced," according to the World Health Organization, and plain packaging of tobacco products can save lives, it said. The theme of this year's no-tobacco day, today, is: Get ready for plain packaging, as the WHO is calling for countries to introduce plain packaging in their territories.
The protection of genetic resources from misappropriation through patents, for example without the consent of the resource owners, and in particular indigenous communities, or benefit-sharing when commercial benefits arise from the use of those resources is being discussed this week at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Two divergent broad perspectives on how to achieve such protection are hoped to come closer on core issues.
The first agreement on how to manage relationships between a United Nations organisation and non-governmental actors, such as industry, philanthropic organisations and public interest groups, was adopted on 28 May by the World Health Assembly. The framework, which had been discussed for several years, was hailed as historic by many countries, but met a mixed reaction from those primarily concerned.
Dans le sillage du Groupe de Haut Niveau des Nations Unies sur l’accès aux médicaments (UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines) cette série d’articles sponsorisés convie des experts à donner leur point de vue sur les politiques les mieux à même de favoriser l’élaboration de solutions aux plus importants enjeux sociétaux, ainsi que sur la manière dont un cadre réglementaire favorable –y compris les systèmes de protection de la propriété intellectuelle – influence le développement et la diffusion de nouvelles technologies et de nouveaux services au sein de différents secteurs, domaines technologiques et juridictions. Les opinions exprimées dans ces articles n’engagent que leurs auteurs.
Tomando como referencia el trabajo del Grupo de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Acceso a los Medicamentos (UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines), esta serie de artículos patrocinados invita a expertos en la materia a expresar sus puntos de vista sobre las políticas que respaldan con mayor eficacia la formulación de soluciones que respondan a los principales desafíos de las sociedades, y sobre cómo los entornos propicios para la implantación de políticas, incluidas las relativas a los sistemas de propiedad intelectual, influyen en el desarrollo y el caudal de nuevas tecnologías y servicios en diferentes sectores, campos tecnológicos y territorios. Las opiniones expresadas en los artículos son las del autor.
Today, the annual World Health Assembly is poised to approve a new plan on research and development into medical products that are affordable to all. NGOs, industry and other observers welcomed the outcome.
As the 69th World Health Assembly draws to a close, member states are being asked to approve a series of draft global health sector strategies for HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections. And the issues involve some questions of intellectual property rights.
A closed-door drafting group this evening arrived seemingly easily at agreement on a resolution on broadening work on new ways to fund research and development into medical products, according to participants. The agreement includes the creation of a new expert committee on health R&D, and asks for a WHO proposal on a pooled fund, they said. [Update: draft text now available]
Reform of the WHO, support for the Contingency Fund for Emergency to enable swift initial responses by the WHO, and a special R&D and innovation chapter in the G7 Ise-Shima Vision for Global Health that does not include the word intellectual property are some of the notables after the G7 Summit closed today in Japan. Counting pages, Global Health and lessons from the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks did receive the biggest attention. But the G7 would not be its old usual without considerable warnings and some concrete proposals how to fight global terrorism and violent extremism.