WIPO’s Standing Committee on Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), meeting from June 22 to 26, 2009, examined areas of possible convergence in industrial design law and practice, as well as questions relating to grounds for refusal of all types of marks and technical and procedural aspects of the registration of certification and collective marks.
Intellectual property and how it relates to public policy issues, such as health, the environment and food security, will be the focus of discussions at an international conference organized by WIPO on July 13 and 14, 2009 in Geneva.
A key WIPO decision-making body, meeting on June 15-16, 2009, endorsed proposals by Director General Francis Gurry for a new senior management team, consisting of four Deputy Directors General (DDG) and three Assistant Directors General (ADG).
A special task force set up by WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to monitor the progression of influenza A (H1N1), to keep staff informed of the status of the pandemic and to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all those associated with WIPO’s operations met on June 12, 2009 to take stock of latest developments.
The third meeting of the Global Network of Intellectual Property (IP) Academies (GNIPA) meeting in Munich, Germany, on June 9 and 10, 2009, at the European Patent Office (EPO), agreed to further intensify cooperation among its members. The event provided an opportunity for representatives of IP academies and training and research institutes to review progress on a common action plan, to exchange practical experiences and to share best practices with a view to enhancing IP education and training, and the management of IP Academies.
A gathering of senior policy makers and intellectual property (IP) administrators from 36 African countries meeting in Pretoria, South Africa on May 26 and 27, 2009, to examine the importance of IP as a catalyst for economic and commercial development, marked the launch of a Japanese-financed program to promote the use of IP in Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
WIPO’s top copyright negotiating forum has agreed “to continue without delay” its work on facilitating the access of the blind, visually impaired (VIP) and other reading-disabled persons to copyright-protected works. This subject - as well as broader questions of limitations and exceptions to copyright law as they relate to libraries, archives and educational activities - is at the heart of current work of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).
The number of international trademark registrations topped the one million mark when Austrian “eco” company Grüne Erde, which specializes in natural wood, textile and cosmetic products, registered its mark this month under the WIPO-administered Madrid system for the international registration of marks.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 focuses on promoting green innovation as a key element in meeting the challenges of climate change In his message to mark the day, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry highlights the contribution that a balanced intellectual property (IP) system can make in enabling the development of technology-based solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) agreed late Friday at the close of its week-long session from March 23 to 27, 2009, on a range of work items that will continue to clarify and focus attention on key substantive issues relating to patent law and practice. Delegations from 103 countries, 10 international organizations and 28 non-governmental organizations participated in the Committee which was chaired by Mr. Maximiliano Santa Cruz from Chile.