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.
Archive for the ‘Intellectual Property’ Category
Stuck in the First Gear: Moving Forward the Discussion on International Transfer of Technology – Part II
Saturday, February 6th, 2010Stuck in the First Gear: Moving Forward the Discussion on International Transfer of Technology – Part I
Saturday, February 6th, 2010Robinson 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 II, I propose how this can be done.
The U.S.A Stands up to be Counted on Improving Access for Visually Impaired Persons
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009Sisule F. Musungu - A key item at the on-going ninetenth Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) is a discussion on a proposed treaty for improving access for the blind, visually impaired and other reading disabled persons (hereinafter “TVI”). Naturally, the proposal by the World Blind Union, formally presented to SCCR by Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, has generated not only intense interest but also significant opposition from predictable quaters such as the US Chamber of Commerce. As a corollary, it has been believed that the United States government will oppose such a proposal. The statement of the United States at the SCCR on TVI, however, is a worth a read, because, as a student of international intellectual property (IP) policy-making I can argue that it will mark an important historical moment in the politics of intellectual property. It was not only an enlightened statement but a statement that demonstrated a level of leadership that needs to acknowledged.
Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge
Monday, December 7th, 2009Nagla Rizk – On 28 to 29 October 2009 I was in Dubai for the launch of the Arab Knowledge Report 2009 of which I am co-author. The report was originally written in Arabic, and was translated to English, released under the title: Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge. The Report is published by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. The Report authors are: Kamal Abdul Latif, Mouin Hamza, Nagla Rizk, Omar Bizri, Ramzi Salama, and the Report Coordinator is Ghaith Fariz.
The WIPO Developing Agenda – Some Thoughts on Coordination Mechanisms, Monitoring, Assessing and Reporting Modalities
Thursday, November 19th, 2009Susan Isiko Štrba – On the third day of its Fourth Session, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) embarked on the discussion on coordination mechanisms and monitoring, assessment and reporting modalities on the implementation of recommendations of the Development Agenda (DA). The discussion, which is a continued from the Third Session of the CDIP, is based on two proposals presented by Algeria, Brazil and Pakistan on the one hand and the Group B on the other.
