[WSIS CS-Plenary] IPJ: WIPO Resumes "Development Agenda" Talks

[Taran Rampersad]

Robin Gross wrote:
> ...In January 2006 Chile submitted an important proposal that 
> advocates for greater protection of information in the public domain. 
> Chile's proposal also calls for recognition of various complementary 
> models of dissemination of creativity, including the expansion of free 
> software and other open licenses such as Creative Commons. Chile's 
> proposal also calls for an assessment of what the appropriate levels 
> of IP are, given the particular needs of a country, including its 
> degree of development and institutional capacity. Chile's proposal 
> recognizes the simple fact that "one size fits all" (X-Large) for IP 
> rights would be harmful to the national interests of many developing 
> countries who are overwhelmingly IP-importers...
Thanks Robin. I'm sorry to see that Chile remains largely alone here. Is 
there any word on what's happening with Brazil and the HIV medications?
> Entirely missing the intent of the Development Agenda, the US 
> submitted a new proposal on the eve of the February 2006 Development 
> Agenda meeting, designed to increase intellectual property rights. The 
> US proposal would make it easier to obtain patents by providing a 
> patent database to Member Countries. And the US proposal would 
> initiate a study to demonstrate the harm of counterfeiting to economic 
> growth. Unfortunately nothing in the US proposal addresses the real 
> concerns developing countries face regarding the inequities of 
> existing IP rights regimes.
Unsurprised. The exportation of U.S. copyrights and patents is an 
economic powerhouse for the U.S., despite all the 'piracy' claimed.

I've been out of the loop for a while, but I'm trying to pry more 
information out on the status of Brazil's pharmaceutical industry which 
was established to save more lives per dollar (a noble endeavour).

I'd also point you at the Scientific American issue for this month, 
February 2006, which talks about the patenting of Life. I wrote a brief 
thing about it here: http://www.knowprose.com/node/10903 It has some 
information provided within the article. You need a (chuckles) 
subscription to read the SciAm article online.

-- 
Taran Rampersad
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