Knowledge Ecology International

In 1985, the Executive Committee for the Berne Convention and the Intergovernmental Committee of the Universal Copyright Convention published a report by Ms Wanda Noel, a Barrister and Solicitor from Ontario, Canada, on the topic of Problems Experienced by the Handicapped in Obtaining Access to Protected Works, as Annex II to a report of an agenda item “Copyright Problems Raised by the Access by Handicapped Persons to Protected Works.”

Ms Noel’s report is 26 pages, and is a readable and concise presentation of the main issues facing the WIPO SCCR today.

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USTR head Ambassador Ron Kirk made another speech on intellectual property on September 30, 2009. The text of his speech is here. Below are a few relevant quotes.

On access to medicine:

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On October 1, 2009 the WIPO General Assembly renewed the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Generic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. Here below is the consensus decision reached by the General Assembly.

Malini Aisola has written some background on the Bilski case here. Today KEI filed a friend of the court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case. A copy of our brief as filed is available here.

India delivered the following intervention at MSF’s workshop at the World Trade Organization Public Forum today. The title of the MSF workshop was “Controversy at customs – the detention of medicines in transit: what impact on access to medicines?”

This is the general statement delivered by the representative of the World Blind Union today (September 29, 2009) at the WIPO General Assemblies.

WBU statement:

The World Blind Union is the worldwide organisation representing the interests of 160 million blind and partially sighted persons in 177 member countries.

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IGC is short for “The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. The IGC

was established by the WIPO General Assembly in October 2000 (document WO/GA/26/6) as an international forum for debate and dialogue concerning the interplay between intellectual property (IP), and traditional knowledge (TK), genetic resources, and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs)/(folklore).

The following is the statement read by the U.S. on the topic of the renewal of the IGC Mandate:

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The following is the general statement that KEI delivered to the WIPO General Assembly on September 29, 2009.

General Statement of KEI
WIPO 2009 General Assembly
September 29, 2009

ACTA

Outside of WIPO, some countries are involved in secretive negotiations on a new Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). KEI asks WIPO to adopt a resolution calling for an end to the secrecy of this negotiation. Global norms for the enforcement of IP should be transparent and benefit from comments from the public before decisions are made on substantive provisions.

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This is the intervention made by Ecuador, on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean (GRULAC) region, concerning the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) on Friday, September 25, 2009.

Here is the except of Malaysia’s intervention at the WIPO General Assembly made yesterday during discussion of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). This excerpt shows Malaysia’s position on limitations and exceptions.