(More on the USTR Special 301. link) On Thursday January 28, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Review process. The USTR conducts an annual review of other countries’ intellectual property policies… Continue Reading
On Tuesday, 26 January 2021, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission delivered a special address at “Davos Agenda Week” devoting much of her speech to the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While President von… Continue Reading
On Friday, 16 October 2020, the European Union provided the following perspectives during a three hour debate on the proposed waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 co-sponsored by Eswatini, Kenya,… Continue Reading
On 30 July 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened a formal meeting of the TRIPS Council. The TRIPS Council held discussions on two COVID-19 related topics: agenda item 3 on IP Measures in the Context of COVID-19 and agenda… Continue Reading
On 14 May 2020, Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced he would step down from his post as Director-General of the organization on 31 August 2020; to say this news was a surprise is an understatement… Continue Reading
On Friday, 19 June 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened an informal virtual Open-ended Meeting of the TRIPS Council. . The following statements were delivered by South Africa at the virtual open-ended informal meeting of the TRIPS Council. In… Continue Reading
On June 9, 2020, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body circulated its reports relating to the Australia – Tobacco Plain Packaging cases. The reports issued the decision regarding the appeals brought by Honduras and the Dominican Republic against the… Continue Reading
Since 1974, the “Special 301 Report” (the Report) provides an annual review of the state of intellectual property protection and enforcement among U.S. trading partners around the world. Amended in 1988 by Congress, the Trade Act is “to provide for… Continue Reading
On April 29, 2020, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published its annual Special 301 Report. A PDF copy of the report is available here. KEI has compiled copies of the Special 301 Report for every year since its inception… Continue Reading
Background In 2001, the World Trade Organization (WTO) began negotiations on the rules regarding patents and access to medicine. While several issues were clarified and resolved in the November 2001 “Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health”, the negotiations took… Continue Reading