Original news and analysis on international IP policy
What will 2013 bring for international intellectual property and innovation policy?
In the coming Intellectual Property Watch series for subscribers, our expert writers take a look at the top global policy issues and events in copyright, public health, legal battles, food security/biotech/biodiversity, trade, development, internet governance and more.
As 2012 becomes a memory, it is fair to say that the intellectual property rights discussion shifted over the past year, with trade agreements, over-reaching in copyright and patents, and the provision of technical assistance all falling under increased pressure. At least if the most-read Intellectual Property Watch stories of the year are any indication.
The fight against counterfeiting and piracy is at the heart of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on enforcement, a non-negotiating body. In a meeting of the committee this week, delegates heard expert presentations on ways to tackle infringement and measure its impact. However, the smooth discussions were disrupted by considerations of the future work of the committee.
After successfully agreeing to convene a high-level meeting in June to adopt a treaty creating copyright exceptions in the favour of visually impaired people, World Intellectual Property Organization delegates yesterday worked on modalities of the upcoming diplomatic conference.
In a swift 15 minute session this morning delegates at the World Intellectual Property Organization extraordinary assembly agreed to convene a high-level meeting in Morocco in June to finalise a treaty on international exceptions to copyrights on books in special formats for visually impaired people.
After several hours in informal consultations, delegates attending the 42nd session of the World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly (and 22nd Extraordinary Session) came out of the room this evening with good news.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is on the verge of deciding on a high-level meeting paving the way for a new treaty to facilitate access to books to visually impaired people. Meanwhile, in Africa, far from plenary discussions, the situation on the ground reveals a dire need for change.
As the World Intellectual Property Organization prepares to hold an Extraordinary General Assembly this week to decide on convening a high-level meeting to negotiate a new treaty on limitations and exceptions for blind and other visually impaired people, publishers are defending their position.
An Extraordinary General Assembly will take place tomorrow at the World Intellectual Property Organization to decide on convening a high-level meeting in 2013 to agree on a treaty on exceptions and limitations to copyright for visually impaired people, enabling them to have a better access to works in special formats.
Washington, DC - United States attachés stationed around the world in order to promote intellectual property rights reported on their activities to US industry here last week. And the attachès posted in Geneva had strong words for the work of non-governmental organisations operating at the World Trade Organization and the United Nations agencies.
At the close of a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting dedicated solely to a potential new treaty on industrial design law and practice, delegates agreed to continue working on the draft instrument at the next session. But they will also have to address divergent views on how to integrate technical assistance and capacity building into the treaty.
The issue of technical assistance and capacity building established a clear divide during World Intellectual Property Organization discussions on a potential new treaty on industrial designs today.