Original news and analysis on international IP policy
By Kaitlin Mara World Intellectual Property Organization members last Friday set up a working group to consider improvements to an international agreement on appellations of origin – names of products reflecting particular cultural or environmental aspects of a geographic location.…
A much-heralded 2003 waiver to World Trade Organization intellectual property rules aimed at helping poor countries receive needed medicines they cannot produce themselves has brought little if any help five years later, according to governments and public health advocates. The…
By Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch
Five years and over 30,000 lawsuits later, both sides in the music industry's legal battle against illegal file-sharing in the United States claim they are prevailing.
By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch In the waning days of this congressional session in the United States, US lawmakers are passing a flurry of intellectual property-related bills. One of the bills awaiting President Bush’s signature would create…
The Council of the European Union has prepared a confidential draft contribution to the World Intellectual Property Organization gap analyses on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, which will be discussed at the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore from 13 to 17 October.
By William New Member governments of the UN World Intellectual Property Organization concluded this year’s annual assemblies with high optimism for the future of the intellectual property system and for the organisation. “We’re glad to see WIPO back to its…
بقلم كيتلن مارا تزداد أهمية نقل التكنولوجيا مع تزايد أهمية التكنولوجيا في الاقتصاد العالمي. وفي حالة تصدي التكنولوجيا للمشاكل البيئية، قد يكون هذا النقل متكاملاً لضمان قدرة البلدان النامية على اتخاذ تدابير المحافظة. واجتمعت مجموعة متنوعة من الخبراء هذا الأسبوع…
By William New and Kaitlin Mara Member governments of the World Intellectual Property Organization completed their annual General Assemblies earlier than scheduled this year, but some of the most difficult decisions – such as the budget – will be addressed…
By Liza Porteus Viana for Intellectual Property Watch
When the new administration and Congress come into office following the November elections in the United States, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries will prioritise protection of their intellectual property and innovative biological drugs as the push for cheaper, generic versions gets stronger. Patent reform also will continue to be a lobbying priority, as well as making sure intellectual property is protected in any forthcoming international trade agreements.
By Kaitlin Mara Work is ongoing within the World Health Organization on a member-mandated global strategy on public health, innovation and intellectual property, a WHO official said Tuesday. But little information about that work has been forthcoming since the strategy…