SCCR 30 End of Session on the Broadcasters’ Treaty: Snail pace to -almost- reach consensus

July 1, 2015 2d Morning Session

The morning started and ended with the clear impression that there was no consensus on whether definitions are needed or not regarding broadcasting organizations or broadcasting itself. Still, Romania and the Central European States and Balkans group as well as the Russian Federation were calling for text-based work and were talking about “a road map to a diplomatic conference.”

Continue Reading

On day 2 at SCCR 30, Anne Leer tells delegates to make broadcasters happy, extend treaty to Internet

Anne Leer is the WIPO Deputy Director General for Culture and Creative Industries Sector, where she leads WIPO’s activities in the field of copyright and related rights. Not a familiar figure at WIPO, she joined the organisation in December 2014, coming from the commercial side of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In addition to the BBC, she had previously worked for Paramount, Oxford University Press, and Financial Times/Pearson and Prentice Hall. Continue Reading

SCCR30 Is the (zombie) broadcasting treaty back?

Day 1 of SCCR 30 Information Session

Find a few Juicy bits from the long “Information Session on Broadcasting” that started this morning and was continued way passed the planned time of 4pm. It was also the least balanced panel I have ever seen at a WIPO SCCR. A handful of broadcasters, one media analyst, one journalist at the BBC, the WIPO Secretariat represented by Ann Leer (who worked for Paramount, Oxford University Press, BBC, and Financial Times/Pearson and the BBC).

Basically there was no one remotely critical of the proposed treaty nor any public interest representative.

Continue Reading

My question to WIPO, regarding the lack of balance in SCCR 30 presentations on broadcast treaty

Today we are in endless “informational” session, chaired by John Simpson from the BBC, and featuring big broadcasters from India (Zee Network), and Brazil (TV Globo), ABN Holdings Ltd (ABN) (A company headquartered England, about) and the Caribbean Communications Network Limited. Continue Reading

FOIA regarding General Electric’s lobbying of USTR to oppose WIPO Treaty for the Blind.

We just received a reply from a September 17, 2013 FOIA request KEI filed with USTR, asking for correspondence involving General Electric’s efforts to block the WIPO Treaty for the Blind. USTR provided 24 pages of documents, available here:

/wp-content/uploads/FOIA-GE-Treaty-for-Blind.pdf

Continue Reading

TRIPS Council June 2015: Norway provides unequivocal support of LDC Group request for extension of the transition period

On Wednesday, 10 June 2015, Norway – a high-income member of the WTO with a GDP per capita of 100,898 USD- (Source: World Bank, 2013) delivered this powerful intervention supporting the LDC Group request for an extension of the transition period for pharmaceutical products. On the LDC Group’s specific request on extension until graduation, Norway said,

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Duke letter to White House on the problems with the TPP IP Chapter

Attached below is a May 20, 2015 letter from Duke researchers to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, setting our problems in the TPP IP Chapter. The letter is signed by Jason Cross, the Director of the Innovation & Technology Policy Lab (ITPLab) at the Sanford School of Public Policy & Duke Law School, at Duke University.

The whole letter (available in PDF format here) is worth reading. Here are a few sections from the letter:


Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Two page summary: What does the TPP do as regards prices of drugs and other medical technologies?

Attached is a 2 page summary of the main provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) that will lead to higher prices for drugs and other medical technologies.

A pdf version of the note is available here: /wp-content/uploads/KEI-TPP-Briefing-2015-2-A2M.pdf


What does the TPP do as regards prices of drugs and other medical technologies?

KEI TPP Briefing note 2015:2
June 10, 2015

Continue Reading

WTO TRIPS Council: World Health Organization issues unequivocal support of LDC transition period for pharmaceutical products

Today, on Wednesday, 10 June 2015, the World Trade Organization’s TRIPS Council discussed the LDC Group’s Request for an Extension of the Transitional Period Under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement for Least Developed Country Members with Respect to Pharmaceutical Products and for Waivers from the Obligation of Articles 70.8 and 70.9 of the TRIPS Agreement (Source: IP/C/W/605). Continue Reading

Uncategorized