Category WIPO

At WIPO, Water Entrepreneurs Meet Investors

Entrepreneurs with innovative water technologies came to the World Intellectual Property Organization last week to find new partnerships and investors. The urgent need to work together and build partnerships in the water sector was the overall message of the event. “Nobody can do the work alone,” Nicholas Niggli, Republic & State of Geneva's Director General, Economic Development, Research & Innovation, said, referring to the many existing water challenges.

WIPO Members Consider Future Of Committee On Traditional Knowledge, Folklore

The fate of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee addressing misappropriation of the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples will be decided by the annual WIPO General Assembly in October. But the committee this week is expected to provide recommendations on its future work, on the renewal of its mandate, and whether work accomplished over the last two years can lead to a high-level negotiation on one or several treaties giving indigenous peoples increased rights over their culture.

WIPO Seminar Looks At Protection Of Folklore

The World Intellectual Property Organization committee in charge of seeking solutions to protect traditional cultural expressions (folklore) from misuse meets this week. On the eve of the meeting, a preambular seminar looked at key policy issues of such protection and if current international instruments could provide for such solutions.

Top 5 IP Offices Advance Patent Harmonisation

Celebrating their tenth anniversary of working together, the intellectual property offices of Europe, Japan, Korea, China and the United States today concluded a meeting of the so-called IP5 by announcing efforts to further harmonise their patent practices. This includes measures affecting global instruments like the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

WIPO Committee On Development Outcome Hailed As Most Positive In Years

After years of mostly discontented discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on IP and development, last week proved positive, with a 10 year political knot solved, an international conference, and a new project approved, as well as a number of recommendations to implement the 2007 WIPO Development Agenda.

WIPO And The SDGs: Differing Views At Committee On IP And Development

The World Intellectual Property Organization, as a United Nations specialised agency, has a role to play in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030. How that might happen, and which goals the organisation should pursue are a matter of ongoing discussion at the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property this week. Views diverge on whether the 17 SDGs should be considered as a whole, of if the organisation should focus on what is considered as its particular expertise and mission.

Access Treaty for Visually Impaired Readers (Finally) Steps Forward On EU Ratification

After prevaricating for about three years, the European Union now seems to be about to ratify a treaty lifting copyright across borders for books in special format for visually impaired people. The European Blind Union saluted the agreement as great news for millions of people with visual disabilities but warned that a provision allowing EU members to impose economic compensation on organisations representing blind persons and libraries could run counter to the benefit of the treaty.

Exceptions To Copyright, Protection Of Broadcasters – Entangled Subjects At WIPO

Efforts by the newly elected chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee, and ongoing studies and initiatives commissioned by WIPO to move past irreconcilable differences on limitations and exceptions to copyright, had little effect last week in terms of agreeing a work programme. However, the committee agreed to ask the WIPO secretariat to propose a draft action plan on those items, and also adopted a new version of a text on the protection of broadcasting organisations. But there was no agreement on recommending to the annual General Assemblies in October to convene a diplomatic conference to finish negotiations on a broadcasting treaty.