Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By Kaitlin Mara Some intellectual property rights holders and their representative governments are looking with concern at the drive to hold discussions on draft modalities for IP issues in this week’s World Trade Organization mini-ministerial. Letters sent early this week…
By Kaitlin Mara United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab on Tuesday told reporters at the World Trade Organization that the United States does not plan to negotiate this week on the extension of high-level protections on product names associated with…
By William New and Kaitlin Mara Intellectual property issues have been a topic of debate at the World Trade Organization ministerial negotiations since Friday and while there have been no changes in positions there has been some talk of looking…
Por Monika Ermert para Intellectual Property Watch A pesar de las declaraciones anteriores de negociadores europeos que sostenían que se necesitaría más tiempo para realizar las adaptaciones necesarias al planificado Acuerdo Comercial de Lucha contra la Falsificación (ACTA, por su…
[Note: IP issues may be the subject of meetings between ministers and WTO DG Lamy over this weekend, according to sources.] By Kaitlin Mara and William New A new draft of proposed modalities for negotiating three intellectual property issues at…
By Kaitlin Mara A confidential draft text circulated recently among some World Trade Organization members reveals an attempt to consolidate separate proposals aimed at the protection of product names with location-related associations and characteristics (called geographical indications) and at the…
A confidential text, dated 30 June and available here, and circulated recently among some World Trade Organization members reveals an attempt to consolidate separate proposals on the protection of geographical indications, biodiversity and traditional knowledge.
By Kaitlin Mara
Intellectual property is a useful leveraging tool for developing countries eager to see the creation of a global access and benefit-sharing regime on genetic resource use, said a recent panel on biodiversity protections in international law.
"Benefit-sharing was viewed as an integral part of the main bargain between developed and developing countries" when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first formed, said Timothy Hodges, a Canadian official who co-chairs an access and benefit-sharing working group under the CBD.
Par Catherine Saez Selon certains participants à une réunion-débat qui s’est tenue récemment, le transfert de technologie vers les pays les moins avancés (PMA) a été freiné par divers facteurs, comme la réticence des entreprises des pays développés à établir…
Por Catherine Saez La transferencia de tecnología a los países menos adelantados (PMA) se ha visto obstaculizada por diversos factores, entre ellos, la renuencia de empresas de países desarrollados a realizar negocios o inversiones extranjeras directas, la incapacidad de los…
By Kaitlin Mara An association of producers of geographical indications – product names associated with a particular place and characteristics – is promoting the idea that extending the high-level protection of geographic indications currently enjoyed by wines and spirits to…
By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Leaders of the Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) this week adopted an ambitious 10-year blueprint to substantially expand trade and economic cooperation with the aim of improving the position of Muslim…