China describes TRIPS Council proposal on ACTA and other plurilateral enforcement agreements.

At a June 28, 2010 Geneva workshop on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Dr. Zhao Hong, from the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organization, distributed a proposal that was prepared for the June 8-9, 2010 meeting of the WTO TRIPS Council:

Decisions to be taken

Decision of the TRIPS Council on the Relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and Intellectual Property Provisions of bilateral, plurilteral Trade Agreeements

Members,

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The EU proposal for increasing access?

The EU position came out in a proposal for a Joint Recommendation with 9 articles in 11 pages. It is hard to believe but it is worst than the US proposal and it is even worst than nothing. It is an outrageous “roll back” recommendation. It does make clear who’s the boss in the commission. The publishers apparently. Their proposal is bold. Here’s a quick read:

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How Much Time is Necessary to Negotiate the Text of a Multilateral Agreement on Intellectual Property?

There is a negotiation in the WIPO SCCR over the work program on copyright limitations and exceptions for persons with disabilities. Some countries favor a negotiation on a binding treaty. The US government is asking that the SCCR set aside work on the treaty, and focus instead on a non-binding recommendation to address a limited set of issues relating to the import and export of works created under an exception. The US government asserts that treaties would take a very long time to negotiate, ratify and implement. Continue Reading

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Anne Marie Worning appointed as new acting head of WHO’s team on public health, innovation and intellectual property

On 4 June 2010, Dr. Margaret Chan (Director General, World Health Organization) announced Dr. Anne Marie Worning as ‘acting Director, Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (PHI)’. According to the WHO website,

Dr Anne Marie Worning, a Danish national, is the Executive Director of the Director-General’s Office since April 2009.

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WIPO SCCR: US Proposal for a Consensus Instrument for persons with print disabilities

Today, 27 May 2010, during the WIPO Open-ended Consultations on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Persons with Print Disabilities and on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, the government of the United States of America distributed a draft proposal to WIPO Member States for a Consensus Instrument for persons with print disabilities.
The US proposal is available in pdf format here, in doc format here, and copied below.

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Global Health Progress/IFPMA fete African health ministers in Geneva on public private partnerships

On 19 May 2010, Global Health Progress (GHP) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) hosted a luncheon at the Vieux Bois in Geneva on the margins of the 63rd World Health Assembly for a targeted audience of over 90 persons including Ministers of Health, Ambassadors and senior officials from the Africa. Continue Reading

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KEI Statement on WHA 63 Establishment of Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Finance and Coordination

The World Health Assembly (WHA) has just adopted a new resolution on the “Establishment of a Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Finance and Coordination.” The resolution is just over 4 pages. It represents a dramatic response to the earlier WHO Expert Working Group (EWG), by

  1. calling for a more member state driven role in establishing the membership of the group,
  2. focusing extensively by the need to deepen the analysis,
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PDP+ presented at WHA to skeptical audience

Last evening the Global Health Council (GHC) and the Global Health Forum (GHF) co-hosted an event on funding R&D for neglected diseases. The event was one of several hosted by the GHC at the posh Intercontinental Hotel.

A “proposal” for PDP funding was presented by Novartis, IAVI and Mary Moran. Called PDP+, it was an attempt to “merge” three different proposals that were endorsed by the WHO Expert Working Group (EWG).

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