Author: Thiru

Open-ended consultations on copyright limitations and exceptions for persons with print disabilities
Geneva, May 27, 2010

Mr. Chairman,

Yesterday, during the first round of the consultations, Brazil recalled the reasons why there is an urgent need for a treaty on Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons. As civil society representatives were not present yesterday, I will recall some of the main points Brazil holds dear in these discussions.

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On 19 May 2010, Global Health Progress (GHP) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) hosted a luncheon at the Vieux Bois in Geneva on the margins of the 63rd World Health Assembly for a targeted audience of over 90 persons including Ministers of Health, Ambassadors and senior officials from the Africa. Continue Reading →

Moving beyond the EWG: Charting a new path for WHO to promote innovation AND access to medicines

Non-governmental organization perspectives on de-linkage, prizes and the R+D Treaty

Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Location: Salle XXV, Palais des Nations
Time: 13:00 to 14:30

I+A: Innovation+Access Continue Reading →

On Wednesday, 19 May 2010, the launch of the 2.3(c) Committee will take place at Room XXV of the Palais de Nations from 13:00 to 14:30. Element 2.3(c) of the WHO Global Strategy on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property states:

encourage further exploratory discussions on the utility of possible instruments or mechanisms for essential health and biomedical R&D, including inter alia, an essential health and biomedical R&D treaty

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As the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) opens on May 17, 2010, WHO member countries will meet to consider matters of great moment including such topics as ‘counterfeit medical products’, pandemic influenza preparedness (sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits) and the Report of the WHO Expert Working Group on R&D Financing. Continue Reading →

12 May 2010

Statement of Knowledge Ecology International on possible WTO disputes against the EU seizures of goods in transit

Thiru Balasubramaniam, Geneva Representative

“In a world with territorial patent rights, it is important that the rules for ‘goods in transit’ permit the transport of medicines from places where they can be made to places where they will be used. The EU’s systematic seizure of at least 17 drug consignments is indefensible and undermines the very principle of free trade, the raison d’être of the World Trade Organization.

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On April 23, 2010 and May 27-28, 2010, WIPO will hold open-ended consultations on copyright limitations and exceptions for persons with print disabilities and on the protection of audiovisual performances as mandated by the conclusions of the 19th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).

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On February 18, 2010, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), a trade association whose members include the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) prepared a 498 page submission to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) detailing their concerns with 39 countries or territories which the IIPA believed were not providing adequate and effective protection of their Continue Reading →

Friday, 12 February 2010

Around 100 Members of the World Trade Organization attended informal consultations today in Room E (a mainstay of the green room consultations) to discuss the implementation of Paragraph 6 mechanism which was created to be an “an expeditious solution” for “WTO members with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector” that faced difficulties in in “making effective use of compulsory licensing under the TRIPS Agreement”.

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WIPO

SCP/14/9 Rev.

ORIGINAL: English

DATE: January 29, 2010

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION

GENEVA

STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE LAW OF PATENTS
Fourteenth Session
Geneva, January 25 to 29, 2010