Intervention of Brazil to the WTO TRIPS Council (March 2011) providing details about the Brazilian HIV treatment program
On Tuesday, 1 March 2011, Brazil made the following intervention at the WTO Council for TRIPS during discussions of the paragraph 6 system.
Mr. Chairman,
Brazil welcomes the opportunity for this follow-up to the review on the implementation of the paragraph 6 system. Our aim here is to assess whether this system is indeed an expeditious solution for countries lacking manufacturing capacity and to address any shortcomings for the system’s effective operation.
Continue ReadingComments on Incentivizing Humanitarian Technologies and Licensing Through the Intellectual Property System
On September 20, 2010, the PTO published “Request for Comments on Incentivizing Humanitarian Technologies and Licensing Through the Intellectual Property System” in the Federal Register (75 Fed. Reg. 57261, available here):
2 Michel Barnier tells the European Blind Union the EU does not support a treaty for persons with disabilities
On March 2, 2011, Michel Barnier, the EC Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, wrote to Dan Pescod of the European Blind Union, to defend the European Commission decision to back a soft alternative to a treaty at WIPO. (More context, including the text of all of the proposals at WIPO, here. Continue Reading
Response of WHO to KEI letter regarding McKinsey, vaccine policy and competing interests
On 20 February 2011, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General – Health Security and Environment, World Health Organization, responded to KEI’s letter (16 February 2011) regarding McKinsey, vaccine policy and competing interests. Here is the response in full (email contacts have been redacted).
From: “Fukuda, Keiji”
Date: February 20, 2011 4:14:05 PM GMT+01:00
To: “Thiru Balasubramaniam”
Continue ReadingSeven being considered for new US Register of Copyrights
Apparently it is now down to seven final candidates to be the new US Register of Copyrights. These include two employees of the Copyright Office (Carson and Kasunic), a lawyer in private practice (Fries), a full time professor (Brauneis), a professor/USPTO negotiator (Hughes), a trade negotiator (McCoy), and a representative of a trade association (Perlmutter). By gender, the finalists are two women, and five men.
They are, in alphabetical order:
Robert Brauneis
Continue Reading4 WBU suspends participation in WIPO & EU Stakeholder discussions, pending agreement at WIPO on legal framework
On February 26, 2011, the World Blind Union issued a statement announcing it would “suspend participation in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform and EU Stakeholder Dialogue projects, pending agreement at WIPO on a proper binding legal framework.” [See full statement below]. The WBU statement is expected to dramatically change the environment for considering a new WIPO treaty for persons who are blind or have other disabilities.
38 groups (including KEI) ask Congress to make CRS reports public
Congressional Research Service reports are prepared in response to requests from members of congress. For decades, right to know groups have been asking that they be available online. The CRS describes itself as follows:
KEI comments on USTR 2011 Special 301 Review
KEI’s comments on the USTR 2011 Special 301 Review are available here.
For further background on the 301 process, see: /ustr/special301 Continue Reading
KEI letter to WHO regarding McKinsey, vaccine policy and competing interests
On 15 February 2011, the Co-Chairs of the WHO Open-Ended Working Group of Member States on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits (OEWG) held a consultation with civil society. The Co-chairs of the OEWG are Ambassador J. Gomez-Camacho, Mexico and Ambassador B. Angell-Hansen, Norway. Continue Reading
Greens/EFA MEPs Engström, Sargentini, Beliér, Albrecht ask question on ACTA and Vienna Convention
Four Green/EFA MEPs (from four parties and four countries) have asked a follow-up question on ACTA and the Vienna Connection, trying to get at the “is the US bound?” issue.
Greens/EFA MEPs Christian Engström, Judith Sargentini, Sandrine Beliér and Jan Albrecht have asked the European Commission this follow-up question on ACTA and Vienna Convention: