Category WTO/TRIPS

Bark But No Bite? Antigua Talks Tough On WTO Gambling Case, But No TRIPS Remedy

The tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda again had strong words today for the United States’ seeming incalcitrant refusal to change its law or pay up in a World Trade Organization case it lost for blocking the island’s online gambling business. But Antigua stopped short of any direct threat to use the weapon it was given by the WTO dispute settlement panel: to stop protecting US intellectual property rights in the amount of the damages.

William New
June 18, 2014

TRIPS Council Debates Non-Violations, Innovation, Green Tech Transfer

Whether countries can bring intellectual property complaints against each other under the World Trade Organization even if they don’t violate WTO rules was a topic of debate this week, but could not be resolved.

US Proposal Seeks To Allow Non-Violation Cases Under TRIPS Agreement

The United States confirmed its opposition to an indefinite extension of a moratorium shielding the World Trade Organization agreement on intellectual property from non-violation complaints through a paper presented to WTO members meeting today.

Catherine Saez
June 11, 2014

Fight The Fakes Campaign Grows, Now Includes Generics Companies

The Fight the Fakes campaign announced today the support of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and 10 other new partners for its campaign to raise awareness worldwide about the dangers of fake medicines.

Julia Fraser
June 6, 2014
1 Comment

Innovation Hubs, Green Technology Transfer On Agenda Of TRIPS Council

The World Trade Organization intellectual property committee will meet next week with some new issues on the agenda. Ecuador has requested the continuance of a discussion on the transfer of green technologies, and Taiwan and the United States have proposed an agenda item on innovation incubators.

Shifting Sands In The Global IP Community

Just as the world of international intellectual property law and policy is ever-changing, so are the faces within it. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has a new deputy director in Silicon Valley veteran Michelle Lee, who has been acting as director. Many changes occurred at the US Trade Representative’s office, including the naming of a top tech industry lobbyist as deputy USTR, the return to Geneva of a key US figure at the WTO, and the defection of a top IP negotiator to the copyright industry.

Liza Porteus Viana
June 5, 2014

IP-Watch Subscribers – Updated List Of IP Delegates In Geneva

The Geneva IP delegates list is updated! As a special feature for our subscribers, Intellectual Property Watch has assembled a new list of many of the leading government delegates working on intellectual property issues in Geneva.

Julia Fraser, MaÃ«li Astruc and Julia Fraser, MaÃ«li Astruc
May 13, 2014

Book Analyses Moral Dimensions Of Intellectual Property Rights

A recent book, “The Moral Dimensions of Intellectual Property Rights,” by Seven Ang of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, explores the philosophical implications of moral terms included in IP rights statutes.

A Brief Overview Of Current IP Issues At The WTO

Intellectual property issues may not be at the top of the post-Bali negotiations at the World Trade Organization, but there are many IP-related issues going on at the WTO. Below is an overview of some current and possible IP-related issues at the WTO.

William New
May 5, 2014

Antigua Questions Efficacy Of WTO Dispute System Over IP-Related Case

Can the World Trade Organization’s smallest members use the dispute settlement system effectively? That is a question that seemed to be suggested by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda at a WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting yesterday, in an intellectual property-related case involving a United States gambling ban.

William New, Catherine Saez and William New, Catherine Saez
April 26, 2014
6 Comments

WTO To Consider Five Australia Plain Packaging Disputes Under One Panel

The World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body yesterday agreed to establish two more panels in a dispute against Australia's plain packaging for tobacco products, bringing the total to five. And it was agreed that a single panel will be appointed to study the five complaints.

Catherine Saez, William New and Catherine Saez, William New
April 26, 2014
9 Comments

20 Years Of TRIPS: Max Planck Launches Declaration On Patent Protection

The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition has launched a Declaration on Patent Protection with the aim to “clarify some of the regulatory options states still retain under international law, in particular the TRIPS Agreement,” which turns 20 years old this year.