Workshops and public consultations relating to the Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons in the run up to SCCR 19

In May 2009, at the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) 18th session, the governments of Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay formally tabled a proposal (SCCR/18/5) to WIPO endorsing the World Blind Union’s Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons. The States’ proposal has generated a flurry of activity including meetings scheduled in Belgium, Egypt, India and the United States related to the Treaty, norm setting, orphan works and limitations and exceptions to copyright. Continue Reading

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Group B opening statement at 2009 WIPO GA

In WIPO, Group B is a club of high income countries. This is the statement Group B delivered in the Agenda item for general statements, at the 2009 WIPO GA.

September 21, 2009

47th Series of Meetings of WIPO
Geneva, September 22 to October 1, 2009

Group B: opening statement

Mr. Chairman

Live blogging WIPO GA, September 24, 2009

WIPO has elected two vice-chairs for the GA, Tunisia and Turkey. Tunisia now chairing.

Chile made a very nice statement on the public domain, copyright L&E, and access to knowledge.

The Tunisia chair just ruled that NGOs cannot speak today, and may only submit written statements. We may have opportunity later this week. The excuse was the “long list” of NGOs, but that not true. There were only about 4 or 5 on the list, including KEI, TWN and the WBU.

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U.S. general statement at 2009 WIPO GA

The following is the statement that the United States asked be included in the record for Agenda item 5 (General Statements) of the 2009 WIPO General Assembly.


World Intellectual Property Organization
Assemblies of the Member States
September 22 to October 1, 2009

AGENDA ITEM 5: General Statements

BACKGROUND:

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2009 WIPO General Assembly begins

Every year at the end of September, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) holds a General Assembly (GA). The GA hears reports from all WIPO committees, approves budgets and top staff appointments, and sets the agenda for the next year. This year’s GA started today, with a large number of patent and copyright office heads, trade negotiators and NGOs in attendance.

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KEI Brownbag on Bilski case: Scope of Patentable Subject Matter

Date: September 10, 2009

On September 10, 2009 KEI hosted a brownbag lunch to discuss the scope of patentable subject matter, focusing specifically on the implications for life-science patents of the Supreme Court’s forthcoming review of the Bilski Federal Circuit opinion. This is the first time since 1981 that the US Supreme Court will address the limits of patentable subject matter.

The key U.S. statue on this issue is Section 101 of the patent law:

35 USC 101. Inventions patentable

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