Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By William New The politically explosive issue of ensuring everyone benefits from vaccines in the event of an influenza pandemic is the subject of a negotiation underway at the World Health Organization this week. The work of the member governments…
By William New The World Health Organization, which has intensively debated intellectual property rights issues in recent years, has restructured its management of the issues, elevating IP to the director general’s office. “[The restructuring] shows the importance that the director…
By William New When Kamil Idris, the director general of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization, informed staff last week that the process for electing his successor would occur one year early, it was met with mixed reactions. It…
This item has been removed on request of WIPO.
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch RIO DE JANEIRO – Intellectual property-related issues were a topic avoided by governments during the 2003-2005 World Summit on the Information Society, which gave way to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). But at…
By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch
Makers and distributors of digital storage products and audiovisual media last week urged France's highest administrative court to kill private copy levies on technologies for transferring data such as USB keys, external hard disks and memory cards.
The challenges, filed 9 November in the Conseil d'Etat by e-merchant Rue du Commerce and the Syndicat des Industries de Mat�riels Audiovisuels Electroniques (SIMAVELEC), contend that the lack of harmonised levies among European Union countries violates EU law and hurts online sellers.
The legal action came one day after the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) argued that non-payment of levies should be made a criminal offence.
Por William New Los Estados miembros de la Organización Mundial de la Salud culminaron una intensa semana de negociaciones sobre las formas de mejorar el acceso al cuidado de la salud para las poblaciones más pobres con un significativo avance…
William New Les gouvernements membres de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) ont achevé une semaine de négociations intense sur la manière d’améliorer l’accès des populations les plus démunies aux soins médicaux. Ils ont notamment réalisé des progrès considérables concernant…
By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch RIO DE JANEIRO – The debate over whether the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) should grow beyond its no-decisions, dialogue-only capacity was under consideration from the opening of the meeting here Monday. While a…
By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – The patent offices of the United States, Europe and Japan have agreed to coordinate work-sharing, improve the quality of patent applications and work on other ways to standardise procedures…