Original news and analysis on international IP policy
A group of experts working as a think-tank for the United Nations Human Rights Council raised the issue of patents and food at a meeting this week. Meanwhile, a new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food expected to be available at the end of August will focus on the intersection between intellectual property and the human right to food.
A group of US congressional members have sent a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke calling for a temporary arrangement between the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (which manages technical aspects…
The influential United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) ended its 2009 substantive session on 31 July, after a month-long coordinating body meeting in Geneva which yielded resolutions on several topics such as public health, science and technology, human rights, environment and sustainable development issues.
NEW YORK - Patent lawyers from financial services companies and other firms this week said they are hopeful that change at the US Patent and Trademark Office will bring solutions to their concerns with the business method patents, application backlogs, patent quality problems, transparency and other issues.
Last October, a United States appellate court shifted the country’s patent law dramatically, moving the nation closer to other countries’ standards on what inventions can be patented. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals (often called America’s “patent court”) overruled its own seminal precedent and sharply cut back on the types of methods and processes that are eligible for patent protection. The ruling put thousands of patents under a cloud, including many business method patents and financial method patents.
This controversial ruling will soon be reviewed by the US Supreme Court. The resulting decision in Bilski v. Doll could become a milestone in US patent law, with repercussions around the world.
With governments looking to close the long-stalled Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks in 2010, what will happen to remaining disagreements on intellectual property issues is still unclear. But proponents of amending the World Trade Organization intellectual property agreement reasserted the need to have them addressed.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday appeared to look favourably upon David Kappos, the Obama administration nominee for undersecretary of Commerce and director of the US Patent and Trademark Office. But in the process, Kappos showed possible weaknesses in separating himself from his job at IBM and the need for international diplomacy on IP enforcement.
A Northern California academic and a top national fundraiser for President Obama may be the next US ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, according to sources. Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, wife of eBay CEO and President John Donahoe, holds a law degree, two master’s degrees and a PhD in a variety of subjects, and is rumoured to be the nominee for the post empty since January.
Cette semaine, les États membres de l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI) ont procédé à un examen minutieux du projet de programme et de budget pour l’exercice 2010-2011 proposé par le Secrétariat de l’Organisation, le premier à refléter entièrement le réalignement stratégique que Francis Gurry, son directeur général, entend opérer au sein de cette institution spécialisée de l’ONU.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this week is concluding a month-long coordinating body meeting in Geneva by adopting resolutions on a range of public policy issues such as internet connectivity, science and technology, and HIV/AIDS.
Los Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI) analizaron minuciosamente esta semana el proyecto de presupuesto por programas de 2010-2011 propuesto por la Secretaría de la OMPI, el primero que refleja plenamente el reajuste estratégico del organismo de Naciones Unidas elaborado por el Director General Francis Gurry. A pesar de las cerca de 200 intervenciones de los Estados sobre los diferentes aspectos del plan, al parecer se respaldó la propuesta de la Secretaría para el presupuesto bienal de 618,6 millones de francos suizos (577,2 millones de dólares estadounidenses), lo que representa una disminución del 1,6%, o 9,8 millones de francos suizos, en comparación con el presupuesto de 2008-2009.
世界知识产权组织的成员国政府本周认真分析了该组织秘书处提交的2010至2011年度计划和预算草案，该报告第一次全面反映了联合国世界知识产权组织总干事高锐（Francis Gurry）提出的有关组织战略的调整思路。尽管各国政府代表针对该计划方方面面进行了大约200次发言，但是大家好像对秘书处有关两年6.186亿瑞郎（5.772亿美元）的预算建议表示支持。与2008至2009年度相比，预算下降了1.6%或者980万瑞郎。