Pedro Paranagua - The Public Domain Manifesto, which was produced within the context of COMMUNIA, the European Thematic Network on the digital public domain, has recently been launched. The Manifesto is a timely reminder that the public domain “is the wealth of information that is free from the barriers to access or reuse usually associated with copyright protection, either because it is free from any copyright protection or because the right holders have decided to remove these barriers.”
Stuck in the First Gear: Moving Forward the Discussion on International Transfer of Technology – Part II
Robinson Esalimba - One of the renowned American inventors from the last century and former head of research at General Motors, Charles Kettering, was famous for his snazzy quotes and sound bites. One of my favourites is; “A problem well stated, is a problem half solved.” I couldn’t agree more. In the first part of my post on Stuck in the First Gear, I suggested that the draft WIPO proposal on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (CDIP/4/7) which is up for discussion at the fifth session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) from April 26 to 30, 2010; is unlikely, as currently framed, to move forward the discussion on transfer of technology. This is because the problem has not been well stated.
Stuck in the First Gear: Moving Forward the Discussion on International Transfer of Technology - Part I
Robinson Esalimba - Notwithstanding the high regard one might have for a computer software engineer, it would be outrageous to consider commissioning one to design a drug for malaria, or even still, that the drug should be produced in a car manufacturing plant. Yet, it is precisely in this manner that most discussions on transfer of technology have carried on; as if what is good for the car is good enough for the drug. The proposed World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Development Agenda project on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (CDIP/4/7), which is up for discussion at the fifth session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) in April 2010, has the opportunity to change this thinking, but only if it redefines the problem that it seeks to solve. In this post and in Part I, I propose how this can be done.
WTO Invites Inputs for the World Trade Report
Sisule F. Musungu - On 28th January 2010 the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced the launch of a web discussion forum to stimulate debate and discussion on the topic of the next World Trade Report “Trade in Natural Resources: Challenges in Global Governance”. In the announcement, the WTO Secretariat promises to take into consideration all the inputs received through the forum.
Is our Health in the Right Hands?
Sisule F. Musungu - The 126th session of the Executive Board (EB) of the World Health Organization (WHO) meets in Geneva from Today (Monday, 18th January 2010) to Friday with a packed agenda. This meeting comes in the wake of increasing questions regarding the management and governance of the world health body which for far too long has escaped serious public scrutiny by hiding behind the perception that it is a technical body whose work ordinary mortals can not understand.
