On Tuesday, 25 September 2018, Knowledge Ecology International delivered the following opening statement at the 2018 WIPO General Assembly.
Opening Statement, Knowledge Ecology International
KEI would like WIPO to continue work on, and evaluate the progress of, the obligation that member states have to implement intellectual property rules in a manner that protects public health and promotes access to medicine for all, as is required by the 2001 WTO Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. We note that in June 2018, the WTO published a panel report on the Australia plain packaging case for tobacco products that found that the 2001 Doha Declaration was a subsequent agreement among states, and applied broadly to health related issues, including even to the control of tobacco products.
KEI supports work at the SCCR on an artist’s resale right for physical works of art.
KEI opposes any further work at the SCCR on a broadcast treaty, given the confusion over the objectives of the treaty, and proposals to provide effective perpetual rights to broadcasters for content that they do not create, own or license, including works where there is no underlying copyright or where the copyright holders have not been paid and or license their works for use by the public at no cost, such as under creative commons licenses.
KEI suggests the SCP investigate the extent to which patent exceptions for the treatment of humans apply to new cell and gene therapies, such as CAR T treatments for cancer.