Kenya Opens Region’s Door To GM Maize
In the face of a severe food shortage, Kenya's Cabinet has approved imports of genetically modified maize, though it has drawn the line on use of GM maize as seeds, a regional newspaper reports.
Intellectual Property Watch
Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Category Africa
UN Project Examines Better Access To Drugs For The Poor Through Local Production
Improving access to medicines in developing countries through local pharmaceutical production is at the centre of a project involving several institutional actors working on health and trade. Technology transfer is key to local production, but some prerequisites like a favourable policy environment and the ability of developing countries to use technology transfer are essential to encourage local production, according to panellists at a recent event.
EU Makes Push To Facilitate Geographical Indications In ACP Countries
A European Union-backed project organised a conference at the World Trade Organization last week to rally Africa to the cause of geographical indications.
WIPO Internal Audit Division Seeks Consultants To Assess IP In Kenya
The World Intellectual Property Organization Internal Audit and Oversight Division is seeking expressions of interest from consultants to conduct an evaluation and analysis of Kenya’s performance with intellectual property rights during the years 2005 to 2010. The study aims to help WIPO members to assess the effect of the UN agency’s work in the country during that time, and to boost learning and accountability.
Flexibility In Government Procurement Needed For Developing Countries
If public procurement for innovation is to be seen as part of developing countries’ industrial-policy portfolio, a recent paper argues accession to the GPA would not help, and advises against it, writes Riaz K. Tayob.
Emerging Economies’ New Initiative On Falsified And Substandard Medicines
Several major generic-medicine producing nations last week held a discussion on the dangers of compromised medical products and joined together to urge new steps such as defining terms, focussing on public health and strengthening national regulatory capabilities beyond strictly enforcement actions that they say have been manipulated and at times counterproductive.
African Traditional Knowledge And Folklore Given IP Protection Despite Warning Of TK Commodification
Some African nations signed a protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore at the beginning of August gaining the praise of the World Intellectual Property Organization. However, a United Nations report launched in January warned against the application of western legal and economic principles to collectively owned knowledge in traditional communities.
Rights Holders Launch Initiative To Protect Content In Africa
Foreign content producers and broadcasters hope the soon-to-be-launched Africa Media Rights Watch will help convince the region’s regulators and consumers alike to increase respect for copyright.
Rapport entre propriété intellectuelle, transfert de technologie et développement
Une analyse des pratiques et des politiques impliquant la propriété intellectuelle, le transfert de technologie et le développement démontre la difficulté à parvenir à une corrélation positive entre les différents domaines, écrit Cheikh Kane.
FIFA, Vuvuzelas And Facebook: The Global Trophy Of IP Protection
In the run-up to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in South Africa, sometimes described as the biggest marketing event in the world, there have been a number of instances where FIFA and local businesses have conflicted over the use of terms to advertise their products.
New Rwanda IP Policy Taps Information For Development
"Information is the lifeblood of development," says the government of Rwanda in a recently-adopted intellectual property policy, part of the country’s comprehensive development strategy. The new policy attempts to integrate Rwanda into the international IP system while simultaneously safeguarding the freedom it needs to drive its own innovation system.
Microsoft Drafts Consumers In Fight Against Software Piracy: Carrot And Stick
US software giant Microsoft said Thursday that users globally have started to join the fight against software piracy by sending in over 150,000 reports about problems with fake Microsoft products over the last two years.