Communia Policy Paper on Leveraging Copyright in Support of Education
[Timothy Vollmer] Communia has published a policy paper on the topic of leveraging copyright in support of education. We contend that exceptions and limitations to copyright for education should support broad access and re-use of copyrighted content of all types in a variety of education settings and across borders. The best way to achieve the proper balance of interests at stake is through the adoption of an exception or limitation to copyright for educational purposes that meets the following requirements. Click here for more.
PIJIP Professors Submit Comments on Nigeria’s Draft Copyright Bill
[PIJIP] PIJIP Professors Carroll, Jaszi, and Flynn have submitted comments to the Nigerian Copyright Commission, which has posted a Draft Copyright Bill (2015) for public review. The release is part of its Project on the Reform of the Nigerian Copyright System, started in 2012 to “the promotion of a knowledge based and innovation driven economy for Nigeria and enhance the interests of Nigeria’s core cultural industries” and bring the country into compliance with trade obligations (among other objectives). Click here for more.
1,525 Civil Society Groups to Congress: Oppose the TPP
[Citizen’s Trade Campaign] A group of 1,525 civil society groups have signed onto a letter sponsored by the Citizen’s Trade Campaign urging Members of Congress to “to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a binding pact that poses significant threats to American jobs and wages, the environment, food safety and public health, and that falls far short of establishing the high standards the United States should require in a 21st Century trade agreement.” Click here for more.
See also: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Statement of Support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Link.
51 U.S. Congress Members Urge Reasonable Licensing Terms For Government-Funded Medical Patents
[Jahan ‘Harry’ Taubman-Rezakhanlou] More than 50 members of the United States Congress today sent a letter urging the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to exercise their legal authority to require medical patents that have emerged from government-funded medical research projects to be licensed on reasonable and affordable terms for public use. Click here for more.
UN Call for Contributions to High Level Panel on Access to Medicines
[United Nations] The United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines is calling for contributions by interested stakeholders that address the misalignment between the rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health where it impedes the innovation of and access to health technologies. In particular the High-Level Panel will consider contributions that promote research, development, innovation and increase access to medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and related health technologies to improve the health and wellbeing of all, as envisaged by Sustainable Development Goal 3, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development more broadly. Click here for more.
USTR Requests Comments for the 2016 Special 301 Report
[Mike Palmedo] The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) USTR Seal has requested comments for the Special 301 Report, which identifies countries that “deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection.” It will also hold a public hearing for further input. The report is produced via an interagency process led by USTR, during which the Special 301 Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee reviews information from “many” sources, including submitted comments and public testimony, and recommends placement of countries in the report. Click here for more.
