USPTO and Congress bash India over the Nexavar compulsory license

Teresa Stanek Rea On June 27, 2012, Teresa Stanek Rea, the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), testified at a hearing on: “International IP Enforcement: Protecting Patents, Trade Secrets and Market Access”, before the US House of Representatives, Judicary Committee, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Continue Reading

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The European Orphan Works Directive: a missed opportunity?

Earlier this month, the European Parliament and the European Commission released a new compromise text on orphan works.

The Compromise Text is available here:
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/12/st10/st10953.en12.pdf

KEI sees the text as a step backwards for access to knowledge. The proposed directive makes far too many compromises, is too limited in terms of the beneficiaries and uses of works, and creates complicated, burdensome and costly procedures and record keeping requirements.

Background on earlier EU consultations

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KEI letter to USTR regarding TPPA copyright provisions

The governments of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam and the United States are negotiating a multilateral free trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The negotiations are being conducted with considerable secrecy, even though they address many issues of great interest to the general public. The Agreement will cover many topics, including intellectual property rights, the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs, and the rights of investors to sue states over policies and actions that impact their investments. Continue Reading

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AUD $2 million Australia-WIPO MOU targets TIGAR, neglected diseases, developing IP systems and technology transfer

On 15 June 2012, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Australian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization signed an agreement and released a joint communiqué “detailing how an AUD$2 million Australian contribution would assist least-developed and developing countries improve their intellectual property systems”.

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Update: Global Fund responds to Report on William Steiger

The Global Fund just sent an email, which says that “your website which inaccurately reports that Mr Steiger will run VPP.” Here is the Global Fund email:

From: Andrew Hurst
Date: June 20, 2012 5:36:49 PM GMT+02:00
To: Thirukumaran Balasubramaniam Subject: RE: Question on the Global Fund’s Voluntary Pooled Procurement?

Dear Thiru

Further to our conversation this week, here is our statement:

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KEI and UAEM file brief as amici curiae in BRCA gene patent case

On Friday, June 15, 2012, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) filed as amici curiae in the case Association for Molecular Pathology, et. al. v. United States Patent and Trademark Office, et. al which is currently being heard before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The full brief is available for download here.

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Statement by Ecuador at June 2012 WTO TRIPS Council on copyright limitations and exceptions

This statement was delivered by Ecuador on 5 June 2012 at the WTO TRIPS Council on copyright limitations and exceptions.

CONSEJO DE LOS ADPIC
5-6 DE JUNIO DE 2012
PUNTO L. DE LA AGENDA
INTERVENCIÓN DEL ECUADOR

Señor Presidente,

El Ecuador da la bienvenida a la iniciativa organizada por Brasil y Estados Unidos con respecto al punto L. sobre las limitaciones y excepciones a los derechos de autor en el marco de las negociaciones en curso en la OMPI.

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