After ten years of deliberations, the 19th session (18-22 July 2011) of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC/GRTKF) submitted a Decision for approval to the WIPO General Assembly (26 September-5 October 2011) that could pave the way for the General Assembly in 2012 to convene a Diplomatic Conference on an international legal instrument(s) for the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs).
The 19th session of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore is meeting this week in Geneva (18-22 July 2011) to make a a decision on a possible international legal instrument (or instruments) to protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. At the discussions of future work on 19 July 2011, the United States (Albert Tramposch, USPTO) asked the WIPO Legal Counsel (Edward Kwakwa) the following question.
From 27 June to 30 June 2011, representatives from the like minded group of countries including Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, and Zimbabwe met in Bali, Indonesia to discuss the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. This group submitted a joint recommendation to the WIPO secretariat (WIPO/GRTKF/IC/19/8) requesting the following:
USPTO is currently considering a pilot program to grant priority review vouchers as an incentive mechanism for technologies or licensing that responds to humanitarian needs. KEI, MSF, Oxfam and PC previously submitted comments on November 19, 2010 and provided additional comments on March 4, 2011 with UAEM.
On 8 July 2011, the WHO Consultative Expert Working Group on R&D Financing and Coordination (CEWG) held an open session to brief the public on their preliminary assessments and recommendations.
To access the slide presentation presented by the Chair (John Arne Røttingen, Norway) and Vice-Chair (Claudia Inês Chamas, Brazil), please click on the following link: http://www.who.int/phi/news/Open_Session_July_v3.pdf
KEI comment on the Medicines Patent Pool license with Gilead
July 12, 2011
FYI: James Love (Tuesday: +44.785.543.6510, james.love@keionline.org). Thiru Balasubramaniam (thiru@keionline.org) or Krista Cox (krista.cox@keionline.org, +1.202.332.2670).
On 14 November 2001, at its Ministerial in Doha, Qatar, the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and public health. Exactly 10 years to the date, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) and the South Centre have are co-hosting a side event at WIPO to discuss the following questions:
How have WTO members implemented paragraphs 4, 6 and 7 of the Doha Declaration? What changes are needed to achieve access to medicine for all? Continue Reading →
On 28 June 2011, Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), sent out Circular note 7998 requesting Member States and Observers to the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) to submit comments on the the proposal by Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Quality of Patents, including Opposition Systems and the proposal by South Africa on behalf of the African Group and the Development Group on Continue Reading →