Joint NGO Letter on the Proposed WIPO Treaty on Broadcasting
[Letter signed by 14 NGOs] We are concerned that negotiations on a broadcasting treaty have not clarified a number of important issues, nor addressed core concerns from civil society and copyright holders. At the outset, we are supportive of measures to address the legitimate concerns of broadcasters as regards piracy of broadcast signals. We are looking forward to seeing appropriate measures to address such challenges, provided they are well defined and limited to solving those problems, and avoid unintended consequences to impede access to and use of works, or harm copyright holders. Our primary concerns are the following: Click here for more.
Global Expert Network on Copyright User Rights Statement on Limitations and Exceptions for WIPO Broadcast Treaty
[Sean Flynn] … We should not be using a 20 year old model that ignores the many advancements in this area. With all due respect, both the chair’s text and the proposal by Argentina and Brazil at the last round are unduly limited. They do not include mandatory exceptions from other agreements, including Berne and Marrakesh. Nor do they consider the needs of libraries, archives, museums or for education or research activities currently in discussion in this committee. Nor do they include the best examples of provisions protecting domestic policy space. Click here for more.
The Medicines Patent Pool Presents New Five-Year Strategy for Improving Access to Priority Treatments in Developing Countries
[MPP Press release] The Medicines Patent Pool Foundation (MPP) released its five-year strategic plan during a side event at the 71st World Health Assembly this evening. … the plan supports the expansion of the MPP model to other patented medicines with high medical value, starting with small molecules on the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Medicines (EML). Click here for more.
South African Cabinet Approves New Intellectual Property Policy
[Fix the Patent Laws Coalition] The Fix the Patent Laws Coalition (FTPL) welcomes the news today that the Cabinet of the Government of South Africa has approved the new Intellectual Property (IP) Policy. After nine years of policy development, two different draft policies and various rounds of public consultation, we now finally have an agreed-upon government policy that can guide much-needed law reform. Though we await seeing the final policy until it is gazetted by government, we are optimistic that the policy will herald a new era for access to medicines in South Africa by prioritising people’ lives over the profits of pharmaceutical corporations. Click here for more.
Cautionary Tales About Collective Rights Organizations, Part 2
[Jonathan Band and Brandon Butler] In 2013, we published Cautionary Tales About Collective Rights Organizations [21 Michigan State Int’l L. Rev. 687 (2013)]. We acknowledged that properly regulated collective rights organizations (“CROs”) in some circumstances enhanced efficiency and advanced the interests of rights holders and users. At the same time, we observed that CROs had a long history of corruption, mismanagement, lack of transparency, and hostility towards users and artists alike. The 2013 article compiled episodes detailing this history to provide balance to any policy discussion that addressed collective licensing and CROs. In the five years that have passed since we published that article, CROs around the world have continued to misbehave, often serving their own interests at the expense of artists and the public. We decided it was time to recount these latest episodes. Click here for more.
Public Eye calls on Swiss Federal Council to Use Compulsory Licensing Against Exorbitant Drug Prices
[Public Eye] Problems with access to lifesaving drugs no longer only affect developing and emerging countries. Even the Swiss healthcare system is struggling to cope with the price explosion of new treatments, in particular cancer drugs. But the Federal Council has the means to act: by resorting to a compulsory licence, it can allow cheaper generic drugs to be marketed despite the existence of a patent. With the support of the Swiss Cancer League, Public Eye is calling on Federal Councillors Berset and Schneider-Ammann to take domestic and foreign policy measures to guarantee affordable drugs and to use compulsory licences whenever necessary. Click here for the full press release.
