2013 Internet Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced
The Internet Society (ISOC) today announced the names of 32 individuals who have made significant contributions to the web for induction into the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame.
Intellectual Property Watch
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Medicines Patent Pool Signs New Licence Agreements
The Medicines Patent Pool, Shilpa Medicare, and Gilead Sciences have signed an agreement to increase access to HIV treatment medicines. The agreement will allow Shilpa Medicare to manufacture “five key HIV medicines for sale in 100-112 countries,” and the goal is to cover “a majority of people living with HIV.”
Infojustice.org: UN Consumer Guidelines Could Be Updated For Digital Rights, A2K
Infojustice.org reports: "Over the last three years a global network of consumer activists has been crafting a set of amendments to an influential global instrument, the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, that could provide a powerful global standard for digital rights and access to knowledge. UNCTAD agreed to their review and set a date – July 11 and 12 – at which to consider proposed amendments."
Miracle In Marrakesh: “Historic” Treaty For Visually Impaired Agreed
Marrakesh, Morocco - The mood was one of celebration at the Marrakesh Palais des Congrès to greet the success of World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators in their attempt to produce a draft treaty text showing consensus. After a difficult start to the week, delegates achieved success and the corridors of the conference centre echoed with laughter and congratulations. Tears of joy were shed as most celebrated this as an historic agreement. Visually impaired people and civil society supporting them were ecstatic, some said overwhelmed.
Publishers Urge European Commission To Reject Google’s Competition Proposal
Hundreds of European publishers have issued a call for the European Commission to reject draft remedies put forward by Google to settle concerns about market dominance in web searching and search advertising.
UNAIDS Reports Sharp Drop In New HIV Infections In Some African Countries
Since 2009, seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa have reduced new HIV infections among children by 50 percent, and others have made significant progress, according to a new report by UNAIDS. But efforts in some countries have stalled, it said.
WHO Wrestles With Engagement Of “Non-State Actors”
The World Health Organization is undergoing major reform including working to stabilise its fiscal future, and members are trying to set out careful terms for working with and receiving support from entities referred to as non-state actors, such as private foundations and organisations.
Expectations High As End Of Substantive Negotiations Near For Blind Treaty Negotiators
Marrakesh, Morocco - Today is the day for World Intellectual Property Organization negotiators to find consensus on longstanding issues and come up with language that can satisfy all countries’ concerns on a treaty, the first of its kind, that would provide copyright exceptions for visually impaired people to have wider access to books worldwide.
Voices Of The Blind In Marrakesh Hope To Carry A Long Way
Marrakesh, Morocco - Yesterday, under a scorching sun, the World Blind Union organised an event to raise awareness about the negotiations taking place inside the Marrakesh Palais des Congrès. Behind them, in the building, negotiators have been at work for a week in an effort to agree and adopt a treaty to provide visually impaired people with a broader access to books.
New Draft Text Shows Progress On WIPO Treaty On Books For The Print-Disabled
Marrakesh, Morocco - Negotiators were still hard at work here at press time trying to reach the deadline of tomorrow set by the president of the diplomatic conference, to get agreed language to a drafting committee tasked with delivering a treaty text. The treaty is intended to confer on visually impaired people a wider access to books by providing exceptions to copyrighted works in special format.
Special Report: European Dialogue On Internet Governance: Regulating Cyberspace After Prism?
Lisbon, Portugal - The surveillance affair around the US Prism programme left its mark on the 2013 European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) in Lisbon last week. Legal experts at the sixth edition of the European version of the Internet Governance Forum pondered possible legal reactions, companies revealed as targets or (unwilling) partners of the programme tried to limit the damage, while Swedish ambassador Olaf Ehrenkrona admitted that state surveillance programs need to be reconsidered given the ease of mass surveillance in the era of a public internet space.
US Gives Boost To Materials Genome Initiative
The Obama administration and academic and industry partners today announced their commitment to support the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), a public-private endeavor whose aim is to reduce the time required to develop novel materials that can “fuel advanced manufacturing and bolster the 21st century American economy.”