The “Africa IP Forum,” originally cosponsored by WIPO, numerous intellectual property rightholders, and a handfull of governments, has been postponed. Civil society groups objected to the conference’s corporate sponsorship and IP-maximalist agenda, and had pushed for the cancellation of the…
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently announced the creation of a portal that “presents a current snapshot of the status of Open Access (OA) to scientific information around the world. For countries that have been more successful…
WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) has completed a two-week session with progress in two areas in which advocates are seeking international agreements on limitations and exceptions to copyright. The Committee announced that it will consider input…
The letter below was sent to Mr. Francis Gurry on 30th November 2011. The contents were also communicated during the Advisory Committee on Enforcement that met on 30th November to 1st December 2011.
Regards,
Sangeeta Shashikant
Third World Network
...Today it is widely known that proponents of a "maximalist agenda" on intellectual property (made up of OECD businesses and governments) are on a campaign to increase IP protection and enforcement far beyond the minimum standards of the TRIPS Agreements in ways that are "TRIPS-Plus-Plus".[1] However such an approach disregards the development dimension, undermines public interests and compromises fundamental human rights such freedom of expression over the internet.[2] ...
WIPO’s 23rd session of its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights is taking place in Geneva November 22 – December 2. The session is debating a treaty on limitations and exceptions on libraries and archives; another on limitations and…
The World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Council will ask Member states to consider a request from Least Developed Countries for an extension of the deadline for their compliance with the TRIPS Agreement. IP Watch reports that Bangladesh presented the TRIPS Council…
Margot Kaminski and Shlomit Yanisky-Ravid November 14, 2011 Abstract: This Working Paper addresses the proposed WIPO International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions for Persons with Print Disabilities. We conclude that if WIPO wants to achieve compliance, this proposed instrument should…
The South Centre has released a new policy brief on the state of the implementation of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. It hails the Doha Declaration as a “landmark achievement for clarifying the relationship between IP and…
Groups Seek Generic Competition for Abbott’s Patented Lifesaving Treatments WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, public health groups in a dozen countries launch a campaign to challenge Abbott Laboratories’ monopolistic hold on lopinavir+ritonavir (also known as Kaletra or Aluvia), a critical HIV/AIDS…
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Commonwealth of Learning have published guidelines on Open Educational Resources. Its purpose is to “encourage decision makers in governments and institutions to invest in the systematic production, adaptation and use…
U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante has published a report outlining the “Priorities and Special Projects of the U.S. Copyright Office” for the next two years. According to the copyright office press release: “Rogue websites, illegal streaming, small claims, orphan…
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced “Re:Search,” a new consortium of pharmaceutical manufacturers, government entities, and nonprofit organizations which will share intellectual property in order to drive research and development for new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for TB,…