The WIPO Conference on IP and Public Policy Conference which took place in Geneva on 13-14 July 2009 was notable for the participation of renowned speakers from different UN agencies, governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Many speakers brought to the audience their experience in dealing with issues that are critical to the IP policy-making process in light of the public interest. In the Climate Change Panel, Haroldo Machado Filho, suggested the creation of a public multilateral fund for purchasing licenses with a view to facilitate technology transfer, and compulsory licensing in national emergencies related to climate change. These two ideas are in line with the discussions pushed forth by developing countries in the UNFCCC. The audience would have had an interest to discuss these suggestions in detail, unfortunately there was no time left for discussion during the morning session of the first day. This was one of the weaknesses of the Conference.
Time was also an issue in the second day of the Conference with the Food Security Panel. Richard Jefferson, Chief Executive of CAMBIA. In spite of this, he did introduce the Global Initiative for Open Innovation (IOI). The IOI is definitely a tool that policy makers could consider using to foster the creation of innovative products to be used for public purposes.
New Minds, New Ideas
Despite the presence of excellent speakers, the Panels lacked the participation of new professionals. Recent Conferences have shown that having new professionals as speakers can bring both the stimulus that participants need to engage in meaningful discussions, and new ideas for policy makers. In the 3rd EPIP Annual Conference, which took place in Bern last year Annamaria Conti, an assistant to Professor Dominique Foray in EPFL’s “Masters in Economics of Innovation” and who received the DRUID Best Young Scholar Paper Award, presented a very interesting study . It focused on open access licenses and offered three ideas for universities that are willing to license their inventions. She proposed: “(1) an exclusive license limited to the North, (2) an exclusive license worldwide with a price cap in the South, (3) an exclusive license worldwide with a price cap in the South and a clause specifying that the licensee would lose its exclusivity in the South if it does not supply the Southern market.” The last model presented is the most interesting and according to Annamaria could bring prices in the South close to marginal costs. Although this study focuses on access to medicine, the views proposed may have an application to issues surrounding climate change and food security. The study presented by Annamaria Conti is one of many studies that new professionals could have presented for analysis at the WIPO Conference.
Lessons Learned for Future Conferences
Time for presentations and discussions is fundamental in a conference intended to inform public policy. If another conference is convened on this topic, the organization should allow adequate time for speakers to expose their views and the audience to express its opinion. Parallel sessions can also provide an important tool for fostering discussions on different subjects involving IP and public policy, including climate change, food security and health. Parallel sessions would also provide new professionals with an opportunity to offer their views and research to the audience.
