Advocating for a world where intellectual
property law serves the public interest.

GRULAC Advocates for Education, Research, and Cultural Heritage at the WIPO General Assembly

[Andrés Izquierdo] The Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), delivered a statement supporting initiatives and proposals aimed at expanding and facilitating education, research, and the preservation of cultural heritage in developing countries. GRULAC also advocated for the implementation of WIPO’s Development Agenda (DA) recommendations and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations.

Colombian Minister Calls for Multilateral Action on Balanced IP Rights at WIPO General Assembly 2023

[Andrés Izquierdo] On July 6, 2023, Germán Umaña Mendoza, the Colombian Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, delivered a compelling opening statement on behalf of Colombia during the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In his address, Minister Umaña advocated for the establishment of multilateral regulations that would incorporate flexible copyright provisions, enabling enhanced access to education

The Value of Indian Patents: An Empirical Analysis Using Citation Lags Approach

[Mohammad Danish and Ruchi Sharma] Abstract: Our study examines whether the growth in patenting activity in India, spurred by policy changes such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), is reflected in a corresponding increase in the ‘quality’ of Indian patents. To investigate this, we utilise 6,777 Indian patent data granted by the United States Patent

South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill: Making Progress at the Provinces

[Sanya Samtani] Last week, in the latest instalment of South Africa’s copyright reform saga, the Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business, Tourism, Employment and Labour at the National Council of Provinces (one of the houses of Parliament in South Africa), held a clause-by-clause vote on proposed amendments to the Copyright Amendment Bill [B13D-2017] (CAB) and Performers

Impacts of LDC Graduation on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in Cambodia, Djibouti, Senegal and Zambia

[Nirmalya Syam and Shirin Syed] Abstract: Least developed countries (LDCs) benefit from specific flexibilities under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), including an extended transition period for implementation of the agreement. These flexibilities cease to apply when countries graduate from the LDC category. Cambodia, Djibouti, Senegal and Zambia are among the countries

The Creative Commons Solution: Protecting Copyright in Short-Form Videos on Social Media Platforms

[Cheng-chi (Kirin) Chang] Abstract: The rapid development of short-form video social platforms, such as TikTok, has created huge commercial value but also highlights serious copyright infringement problems. Traditional "all rights reserved" protection models may not be adequate in this evolving creative landscape. The paper proposes the use of Creative Commons licenses as a solution to address the imbalance of rights