The Economist: Patently Absurd

The Economist recently published an interesting opinion article on the impact of innovation on the economy — specifically the negative impact of patent backlogs on business (particularly small entrepreneurial business). Patently Absurd INNOVATION and jobs have become a modern version of motherhood and apple pie in Washington, DC. Everyone in America’s capital wants lots more [...]

Access barriers to medicines and health: Op-Ed

Canadian MP Keith Martin recently wrote an interesting Op-Ed for the Edmonton Journal on the challenges of providing access to medicines and health for the world’s poorest.  He notes that lack of infrastructure, access to trained health workers, potable water and sanitation are the real barriers to access to medicines and care — not patents. [...]

WIPO to support innovation in Nigeria

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced plans to strengthen Nigeria’s technology innovation centres with particular reference to the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) established by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) in tertiary institutions and research centres across the country. WIPO will help strengthen existing national capacities through the [...]

Access to medicines in India: feedback from a gov’t consultation on compulsory licensing

India’s Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (managed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry) recently released a Discussion Paper on Compulsory Licensing and invited feedback from civil society groups, industry, academia and other stakeholders to guide their formulation of a compulsory licensing policy. The Discussion Paper expressed concern regarding the availability of new products [...]

WSJ opinion – Africa’s Health Crisis

An interesting opinion from the Wall Street Journal about challenges and barriers to improving public health in Africa. How to Worsen Africa’s Health Crisis: Killing off drug patents will kill off innovation and patients. By ALEC VAN GELDER Faced with Africa’s devastation by HIV/AIDS, people are looking for scapegoats. Global pressure groups and now the [...]

Why innovation is sometimes just as important as invention for pharmaceutical patents

An interesting article on incremental innovation, invention, access to medicines and IP — from Global Health Progress. The Asian Age recently discussed the dilemma around the language of the Indian Patents Act, which requires “significant” improvements or efficacy in existing medicines for them to become eligible for pharmaceutical patents.  Reporter Deepak Joshi discusses the role [...]

EU announces new ‘single patent’

The Council of the European Union (EU) has announced an agreement on long-awaited plans for a single EU Patent and a new European patent court.  The EU Patent will involve partnerships between European patent offices, which will bring about more rapid delivery of patents and increase speed of access to market for innovative products and [...]

UN report on patents and innovation

“History has shown… that companies and countries which continue to invest in new products and innovation during times of economic recession will be those that will be best positioned to take advantage of the recovery, when it arrives,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. Demand for international trademarks and patents dropped last year in the [...]

Incentives important to stimulate drug development – WHO

Pharmaceutical firms need incentives, including lucrative patents, to keep creating drugs and vaccines against emergent threats such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the World Health Organisation’s head said on Tuesday. “Progress in public health depends on innovation. Some of the greatest strides forward for health have followed the development and introduction of new medicines and [...]

TACD meeting on Patents, Copyright and Knowledge Governance

The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue recently hosted a meeting in Washington D.C. on Patents, Copyrights and Knowledge Governance.  Panellists were charged with making 2-3 concrete policy recommendations re IP for the incoming Obama administration.  While no consensus was reached, and in fact only a few of the presenters actually provided specific policy recommendations, there were some interesting presentations [...]