Original news and analysis on international IP policy
In a new report on the creative economy, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) found that despite a slowdown in global trade since the 2008 financial crisis, the creative economy has remained robust and has exhibited significant growth. Leading this growth is China, with four times the creative goods exports as the United States in 2015.
Wend Wendland writes: Countries have begun to negotiate a new international legally binding instrument on marine genetic resources in the high seas. The negotiation is an opportunity for countries to re-think existing frameworks which regulate access to and benefit-sharing in genetic resources. Countries have divergent views on if and how IP issues should be addressed in the new instrument. Developing countries have an interest in the establishment of mechanisms for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from research into marine genetic resources and for the transfer of marine technologies. IP issues are relevant in both cases.
As this week opened with a meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee working on the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, a new book was released that looks into indigenous rights and indigenous intellectual property, in the context of the Paris Agreement. The book also looks into Tesla’s open innovation strategy.
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt -- The co-chairs of a contact group working to find consensus language on a decision on genetic resources data issued a new draft this afternoon at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity meetings in Egypt.
SHARM-EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - The access and benefit sharing protocol of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is based on bilateral agreements between providers and users of genetic resources. There are, however, many cases where genetic resources are dispersed, and difficult to attribute to only one location. The issue is being discussed at the biennial meeting of the CBD member states, in particular the possibility of a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism to address those genetic resources not yet covered by the protocol. A side event yesterday explored the possible conditions and needs for establishing such a mechanism, and called for urgent action.
Member countries of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting in Egypt for its biennial conference of the parties, and the conference of the parties of its protocol on access and benefit sharing, until the end of November. New technologies are high on the agenda of the meeting, such as synthetic biology and genetic sequence information of genetic resources, and how they will impact the convention's objectives. Delegates are also expected to discuss a potential global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism, and criteria for international specialised instruments of access and benefit-sharing which could substitute the protocol's obligations in certain cases.
PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron today opened the 13th Internet Governance Forum (November 12-14) in Paris with a firework of requests to the IGF community and some bold ideas. The IGF after a decade should take on much more responsibility in the development of internet regulation, Macron demanded, and said he together with last year’s and next year’s hosts of the UN forum is collaborating on pushing for more formal results, The IGF according to Macron should become a part of the UN Secretary General‘s Office, Macron proposed, to illustrate the importance. His call for regulation was echoed at the event by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The diminishing arsenal of efficient antibiotics to fight bacteria is a threat denounced by many, but investment in research and development of new antibiotics is seen as lagging. As the danger of getting back to a pre-antibiotic age is increasing, alternative ways of financing new antibiotics are being discussed. At the World Investment Forum this week, a panel looked into innovative means of investment, and ways to attract private investors to this field.
The Group of 77 developing countries plus China delivered a statement at the recent United Nations High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, calling for forward progress on the commitments to funding and action made in the UN political declaration on TB.
The World Investment Forum 2018, a biennial event organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will hold a session on health this year jointly with the World Health Organization. The session will address the need for investment in the development of new antibiotics, hoping to raise interest among investors.
What will trade look like in 2030? This is the topic of the 2018 World Trade Organization Public Forum opening today. During the discussion opening the forum, WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo said technological evolution cannot be stopped and should be shaped so it can yield the best results. Alibaba founder Jack Ma invited governments to build infrastructure to help ecommerce and stop trying to regulate it.
The United Nations Human Rights Council last week passed a resolution on the rights of peasants, to be confirmed by the UN General Assembly in November. The resolution includes an article on the right to seeds, and in particular the right to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seeds, which has been a longstanding demand of peasants' organisations. The resolution also asks that seed policies and intellectual property laws take into account the rights, needs and realities of peasants.