Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Intellectual property issues related to biodiversity were the topic of two different sessions at the World Trade Organization on 15 March with minimal progress, according to participants. But the second session, consultations with a senior WTO official, seemed to sharpen…
At the two-day meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) council responsible for intellectual property rights, discussions first focused on two new submissions on issues related to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). The relationship between the CBD and the…
The World Trade Organization committee addressing intellectual property will face a full range of issues when it convenes for the first of three scheduled meetings this year. The 14-15 March meeting of the Council on the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects…
By Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch WASHINGTON, DC – Public health activists are condemning recent terms agreed to by Colombia, Peru and Central American countries in bilateral trade negotiations with the United States, that bind those countries to offer…
For the coming months, key biotechnology industry organisations are focusing their efforts on blocking the addition of disclosure of origin requirements in international patent applications on three fronts. The issue is being debated in three international fora: the World Trade…
Informal consultations were held at the World Trade Organization on 24 February on how to structure negotiations over the coming months on a proposed register for geographical indications (GIs) on wines and spirits, a participant said. The register is scheduled…
The World Trade Organization secretariat has issued a new paper on the relationship between WTO rules on intellectual property rights and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The 78-page paper, which reflects the past eight years of discussion on the…
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has clarified the legal basis for its insistence that China provide the details of numerous judicial cases involving the enforcement of intellectual property rights from 2001 through 2004. The clarifications are contained…
Hong Kong–Trade ministers of the World Trade Organization members concluded a six-day intensive negotiation with little progress on the biggest issues, and minimal work on intellectual property issues. The final ministerial declaration adopted at the end of the meeting on…
Hong Kong–The latest draft text from the World Trade Organization ministerial released today urges consultations on certain key intellectual property rights issues “to intensify” and adds a date for reviews of progress. The text is an update of a draft…