Original news and analysis on international IP policy
The year 2010 was a turbulent year for intellectual property law in the United States, and 2011 promises more of the same. The following are some of the top US IP developments to watch in the coming year.
The music industry has spent tens of millions of dollars to lobby government officials worldwide during the past decade, but whether or not the initiative has helped to shape a viable legal and commercial framework is a subject of debate.
A top Swiss company executive on pandemic influenza and HIV/AIDS research took the reins of the Geneva-based Medicines for Malaria Venture this week, just weeks after MMV was given international organisation status by the Swiss government.
Incorporating traditional cultural expressions into an intellectual property system will be an uphill battle, warned a panellist at a recent side event at the World Intellectual Property Organization. But, argued another, it could be one of the best ways for indigenous communities to benefit from their knowledge.
Intellectual Property Watch Director and Editor-in-Chief William New recently participated in a podcast discussing IP and development, particularly at WIPO, and the latest on patent trolls around the world.
A new policy guide has been released that analyzes the public health effects of intellectual property rights provisions in bilateral trade agreements. The guide has a special focus on the Eastern Mediterranean region.
A decision by the Indian Patent Office to reject a patent on an AIDS drug last week has drawn acclaim from civil society and Indian generic pharmaceutical industries. The decision was not based on a controversial article of Indian law aimed at preventing patent extensions but rather on the grounds of non-inventiveness. Abbott Laboratories, meanwhile, presented Intellectual Property Watch with justification for its Indian patent request.
An internet civil liberties group in Hungary has warned that the country's new media law gives the government censorship authority, threatening freedom of speech and independent journalism. The law took effect on 1 January - at the same time Hungary assumed the six-month presidency of the European Union, raising fears of EU level spread of such policies.
An official who is has been an active voice in access to medicines policymaking in Geneva has taken over as the new permanent representative of Kenya to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The International Trademark Association today announced the appointment of its 2011 president, the first INTA president from a non-English speaking country.