Knowledge Ecology International

Update #2, 15 May: Yesterday, Random House began to disable TTS on books in the Kindle store, which is our primary concern. However, it appears that early reports from the Amazon message boards of remote disabling may have been inaccurate; there have been no confirmed reports of TTS being remotely disabled, and we apologize for any confusion. However, the technology to remotely disable these works does exist, and this remains a significant concern.

Two major points to bear in mind as this story progresses:

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The contributions from WHO Member States and other Stakeholders to the Expert Working Group on R&D financing are now available on the WHO website.

The following extract is taken from the WHO public hearing website:

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In efforts to introduce the topic of innovation inducement prizes into the discussions about drug development, there are inevitably questions about the relationship between grants and prizes.

In some cases, prizes are being offered as a reform of “pull” mechanisms, and can usefully be compared to the grant of a marketing monopoly, which is the primary pull mechanism used today. In this context, a question is, should drug or vaccine developers be rewarded with monopolies or cash? And if cash, where does the money come from, and how much money is given to a particular project?

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May 8, 2009

The following text was submitted by the Like-Minded Group (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Egypt) on Friday, 8 May 2009, for consideration by the PCT Working Group. It is a best endeavor to consolidate the four proposals made yesterday by the African Group, Group B, GRULAC and the aforementioned like-minded Group.

CONSOLIDATED PROPOSALS FOR CHAIR’S SUMMARY

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Proposal of Group B for Recommendation to the Assembly

The Working Group of the PCT recognizes the willingness of all Contracting Parties to commit to developing the PCT in order to meet the needs of all applicants, Offices, third parties and the general public. Following its discussion of the roadmap presented in the document PCT/WG/2/3, the PCT Working Group makes the following recommendations to the Assembly.

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India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Egypt have just provided inputs for the Chair’s (Canada, Alan Troicuk, Senior Counsel, Canadian Intellectual Property Office), Summary of the Working Group of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Philippines made the intervention on behalf of the group of like minded countries.

Inputs for chair’s summary proposed by group of like minded countries

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Today is day four of the second session of the International Patent Cooperation Union (PCT) Working Group of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) taking place at WIPO. Here below are the suggestions of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Member States (GRULAC) would like to be incorporated into the recommendation of the Working Group to the PCT Assembly.The Members of GRULAC that are contracting-parties to the PCT Treaty suggest the addition of the following elements into the recommendation of the Working Group to the PCT Assembly.

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Public Health and Consumer Groups respond to 2009 USTR Special 301 Report

Essential Action, AU Program on Information Justice and IP, Knowledge Ecology International, Forum on Democracy and Trade, Health GAP and Oxfam America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 30, 2009
Contact Info for each organization below with each quotation

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The USTR report in now out, here.

The following are KEI comments:

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The following are some of the “tweets” on the new USTR 301 list:

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