Former WIPO employee (now with PhRMA) moonlights as BIO bouncer

Richard Kjeldgaard, a former Senior Counsellor in the Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and now employed by the U.S. based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) performed his role as “bouncer” admirably today at a luncheon organized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

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Notes on a panel discussion on IP and free trade with government and industry representatives

A Panel Discussion on Policy Approaches to Intellectual Property Enforcement and the Impact on Trade Agreements

Organized by the Property Rights Alliance, this event was hosted by the Intellectual Property Caucus and sponsored by Rep. Tom Feeney.

Date: 12:00-1:30pm October 4, 2007
Venue: Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

Attendance: Congressional staff, industry representatives, other interested parties.

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WIPO: Under Siege?

Walking around the marbled corridors of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) during its 43rd General Assembly, one cannot help but feel a palpable sense of an Organization under siege. Heightened security detail, ostensibly for the protection of the institution and the assembled delegates, was referred by one insider as justification for WIPO maintaining the current levels for patent filing fees.

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WIPO General Assembly 2007 document: Brief note on allegations against the Organization and its Director General

The outgoing General Assembly Chair, Enrique Manalo (Ambassador, Philippines) commenced the 43th session of the WIPO General Assembly at 10:23 AM (Central European Time). Ambassador Manalo highlighted the success of Development Agenda negotiations as a hallmark of his tenure as Chair over the course of 2 years.

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WHO guide on compulsory licensing and government use: Forthcoming?

On 23 October 2006, the WHO, as an intergovernmental organization with observer status at the WTO TRIPS Council, presented a seven page report on its technical cooperation activities with respect to “Trade, Intellectual Property Rights and Access to Medicines”.

The full document IP/C/W/478/Add.4 can be found on the WTO document database:
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/docs_e.htm

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