UN rejects amendment to limit technology transfer to “voluntary and mutually agreed terms” in resolution on global health

Revised May 6, 2024 Against the backdrop of the tortuous negotiations among WHO Member States on technology transfer and know-how at the last mile of the pandemic agreement talks, on Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Switzerland offered a surprise amendment in… Continue Reading

The WHO Pandemic agreement, language on mutually agreed terms for technology transfer, and claims under investor-state dispute resolution (ISDS)

This is an annex to the document: KEI comments on six references to “mutually agreed terms” in the WHO pandemic agreement negotiating text: A/INB/9/3 Rev.1, 22 April 2024, which is available as a PDF here: KEI.MutuallyAgreedTerms.A_INB_9_3Rev1.22April2024draft Annex on Investor-State Dispute… Continue Reading

Colombia’s birthday present to the World Trade Organization: a proposal to review the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement: Article 71.1

On 15 April 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) published a document, IP/C/W/712, entitled, Review of the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement: Article 71.1; this date marks 30 years after the establishment of the WTO. Colombia’s proposal can be found… Continue Reading

USITC avoids taking sides in 497 page report on WTO limited patent extension of exceptions for COVID 19

The USITC has issued a 497 page report on the WTO negotiations over TRIPS and COVID. https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5469.pdf The USITC release states: The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released a report about COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics and certain flexibilities under… Continue Reading

KEI response to NTIA request for comments on AI Accountability Policy, expressing concerns over trade agreement provisions which limit the transparency of source code and algorithms

KEI-NTIA-AI-Accountability-RFC KEI response to NTIA request for comments on AI Accountability Policy, expressing concerns over trade agreement provisions which limit the transparency of source code and algorithms RE: Notice by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration on 04/13/2023, Document Citation:… Continue Reading