Policy Discussions and International Organizations

The law is in a state of disarray that has led to inconsistent case decisions, deep uncertainty in the innovative, investment and legal communities, and unpredictable outcomes in prosecution and litigation. David Kappos, Paul Michel, Corey Salsberg and Matthew Dowd argue that the United States’ legislators must act to ensure the country maintains its long-standing competitive edge in the global innovation race.

Click here to read the full story.

The WIPO Secretariat has compiled a selection of case studies and success stories obtained from various areas of WIPO, that showcase the use of IP rights by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). They provide a comprehensive overview on how IP is used by entrepreneurs, inventors and creators, to add value to their products, support business growth, create employment and promote economic development.

These stories will be presented from the 17th to the 22nd of October during the Twenty-Ninth Session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP).

Read the full story.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) became a technology partner to the global green-technology platform of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO GREEN is a public-private partnership established by WIPO in 2013. Its 145 international partners include major technology companies, intellectual property (IP) offices, business groups, research institutes, and nongovernmental organizations.

The USPTO’s contributions to WIPO GREEN include its own initiatives that are designed to address the challenge of climate change, including:

• The USPTO Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which accelerates the examination of patent applications involving innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• The soon-to-be-announced Patents for Humanity: Clean Energy Technologies awards competition, a green technology–focused version of the USPTO’s highly successful Patents for Humanity awards competition

Click here to read more.

This paper introduces biologics, describes opportunities in the sector, and provides insights about the processes for manufacturing them. It also identifies the diverse pathways that countries have used in recent years to develop bio-manufacturing capacity. Finally, it looks to the future to identify the government policies and technology solutions that will enable more countries to join global value chains and to produce these life-saving treatments more safely, quickly, and cost-effectively – to the benefit of patients everywhere.

Click here for the full story.

Supplementary protection certificates aim to offset the loss of patent protection for pharmaceutical and plant protection products that occurs due to the compulsory lengthy testing and clinical trials these products require before obtaining regulatory marketing approval.

We’ve put together a compilation of key background information on SPCs and the relevant legal regime.

Click here for more information.

A new EU Global Health Strategy (GHS) to be developed this year has been developed to ensure that the EU remains an effective and progressive global health player, delivering on its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and continuing its commitment to promote healthy lives and well-being for all. 

There are various opportunities to contribute to EU law-making as it evolves – from the preparation phase through to proposals for new laws and evaluations of how existing EU laws are performing. The Commission has invited stakeholders to share their views and ideas about the Global Health Strategy on the Have Your Say portal. 

You can learn more by watching the Global Health Policy Forum which allowed for interventions from stakeholders on how to develop the EU Global Health Strategy, or you can click here for more information.

The WTO Secretariat has updated the joint indicative list compiling information on critical inputs for the manufacturing, distributing and administering of COVID-19 vaccines. The revised version incorporates feedback from industry and includes information on new critical inputs that have been identified.

The “Joint Indicative List of Critical COVID-19 Vaccine Inputs for Consultation” can be found here.

Inclusive innovation ecosystems are a priority for Innovation Council. It is for this reason that we have collaborated with WIPO and Invent Together on preparing these high-level policy panels that will take place on May 31 and June 1.

The event will focus on the importance of designing policies addressing the IP gender gap and engaging women’s participation in the innovation ecosystems of the European region.

Click here for online registration.

Innovation Council’s Jennifer Brant will join other stakeholders from the global IP community to discuss the challenges faced by young, female innovators in the health sector and to offer suggestions as to how the community can best support their endeavours. To participate, register here.