Original news and analysis on international IP policy
Lyon, France–Japan has proposed an international treaty to combat worldwide counterfeiting and piracy, complementing the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The proposal came at a 14-15 November conference near Interpol headquarters in Lyon,…
Panelists at a Geneva workshop on intellectual property issues related to a possible avian influenza pandemic argued that IP rules and prices could make it difficult for nations to prepare sufficient stockpiles. Panelists argued that practical problems could arise with…
Strategy for a possible outbreak of avian flu has been elevated from a national to an international level with a high-level meeting on a “plan of action” being held this week at the World Health Organisation. Intellectual property rights are…
Geographical indications (GIs) have become a political issue and a key priority for the European Union in the run-up to the December World Trade Organization ministerial in Hong Kong as GIs today officially became part of the EU’s agriculture package.…
The World Trade Organization committee handling intellectual property issues finished four days of meetings with minimal progress in real terms, but kept several issues alive for the December WTO ministerial in Hong Kong. The WTO Council on the Agreement on…
As nations prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic, some observers are raising questions about a seemingly obscure footnote in international trade law under which dozens of governments have agreed not to import cheap generic drugs made for poor countries.…
The United States, Japan and Switzerland have taken bilateral actions through the World Trade Organization to probe China’s intellectual property rights enforcement, despite Chinese objections. The three nations are requesting more transparency based on Article 63.3 of the WTO Agreement…
Officials at the World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property issues on Tuesday could not agree on how to permanently change trade law to permit poor countries in need to import drugs made elsewhere under compulsory license. The WTO…
Issues surrounding nations’ legal ability to obtain sufficient quantities of patented medicines to protect their people from the spread of avian influenza may be addressed at today’s meeting of the World Trade Organization committee responsible for intellectual property rights matters.…
While Swiss-based Roche, the rights holder to the most-favoured medicine for avian influenza, is pursuing sub-licenses, India is moving ahead with exploring the option of compulsory licensing. If this goes through, India would be able to export Tamiflu to developing…