WIPO Responds to Call to Act with New Tools on IP-Covid

[Sean Flynn] The World Intellectual Property Organization has released two new initiatives and a policy statement on intellectual property and responses to the COVID pandemic. The new initiatives and policy statement respond to many of the issues raised in an earlier letter from a broad coalition to WIPO’s Director General asking for a clear stance on intellectual property and the COVID pandemic. Click here for more.

How Did Fair Use Get Into the Korean Copyright Act?

[Heesob Nam] As I explained in my previous blog post, the open-ended fair use clause in the Korean Copyright Act (“KCA”) was introduced in 2011 in the course of implementing the Korea-US FTA (“KORUS”). Yet, this does not mean that KORUS mandates legislation of fair use. Instead, KORUS restricts the scope of fair use. Footnote 11 of KORUS §18.4:1 mentions fair use, but it’s purpose is to make clear that any limitation or exception to the reproduction right to temporary storage is restricted to the controversial three-step test, and even when Korea or the US introduces or maintains fair use, the three-step test prevails… Therefore, it is fair to say that the fair use clause of KORUS is a sort of by-product produced in a way that Korean government blinds dark sides of the overly expansive KORUS protection of copyright in temporary storage. Click here for more.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Supports the Open COVID Pledge + Makes Respirator Designs Freely Available

[Eric Steuer] We’re happy to count NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as a supporter of the Open COVID Pledge. Additionally, we’re excited to see that JPL has released the designs for three different types of respirators on Github under the permissive Apache License 2.0, making these resources available to anyone to use. These designs, instructions, STL files, and JPL’s initial test data are released to Open Source with the hope that companies and individuals who have access to 3D printers, and who want to help, can print or create these for those who need them. … We expect and hope that these designs will be commented on and improved by everyone during and after this pandemic. Click here for more.

See also: information pledges by AT&T, NJIT, Uber and more on the Open Covid Pledge news page. 

Gilead Remdesivir Licenses: Half Measures Are Not Nearly Good Enough

[Brook Baker] The deadly public policy of letting Big Pharma companies like Gilead control access to COVID-19 therapies is clearer now than ever before.  While promising “global access” out of one side of its mouth, Gilead has shown its true intentions with new, confidential bilateral licenses negotiated with five generic companies in India and Pakistan.  These licenses only cover approximately 52% of the global population leaving the other 48% of the whim of Gilead’s monopoly-based predations. These licenses exclude people living in at least 73 countries and territories, including, outrageously, 30 low- and middle-income countries.  Gilead wants to exercise total monopoly control over manufacture and sale in those 73 countries, giving it unfettered freedom to charge prices far in excess of the estimated $5-$10 per treatment that it costs to manufacture remdesivir. Click here for more.

Covid-19: The Duty to Document Does Not Cease in a Crisis, It Becomes More Essential

[Jean Dryden] This statement about the duty to document was developed by ICA and the International Conference of Information Commissioners, supported by ARMA International, CODATA, Digital Preservation Coalition, Research Data Alliance, UNESCO Memory of the World and World Data System. The statement is built on three principles: Decisions must be documented; Records and data should be secured and preserved in all sectors; and The security, preservation, and access to digital content should be facilitated during the shutdown. Click here for more.

Availability of Research Articles for the Public During Pandemic – A Case Study

[Augustine Joshua Devasahayam] Abstract: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease has affected millions of lives, forcing most of us to stay at home and work. However, there is an immediate need to conduct research on potential drugs against COVID-19. In this article, the extent to which major publishers have provided access for the public to read research articles relevant to potential drug candidates for the COVID-19 disease are presented. Click here for more.

New Leadership at WIPO

[Teresa Hackett] In May 2020, member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) appointed Mr Daren Tang to WIPO’s top job in Geneva. As leader of WIPO, the global body that sets international law and policy on intellectual property issues, the new Director General takes charge of an organization whose direction on copyright determines how libraries do their work, especially in the digital environment. In this blog, Teresa Hackett, EIFL Copyright and Libraries Programme manager introduces the new Director General and sets out hopes for libraries under his leadership. EIFL has congratulated Tang on his appointment. Click here for more.