Category WTO/TRIPS

IP Rights Holders Frown On Proposed Changes To WTO TRIPS Agreement

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…

Schwab: US Will Not Negotiate On Extension Of Geographical Indications At WTO

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…

Talks But No Breakthroughs Yet On IP Issues For Ministers At WTO

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…

New WTO Draft Modalities Text On IP Issues Gathers Wider Support

[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…

Modalities Drafted For WTO Geographical Indications, Biodiversity Amendment

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…

Intellectual Property: A Means To An Access And Benefit-Sharing End?

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.

Lors d’une réunion-débat, appel à des réponses politiques pour encourager le transfert de technologie vers les PMA

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…

Grupo de expertos: se necesitan políticas para impulsar la transferencia de tecnología a los PMA

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…