Intellectual property
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Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of - Measures Concerning the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
On 16 June 2020 the WTO circulated the panel report in the case brought by Qatar in “Saudi Arabia — Measures concerning the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights” (DS567).
Australia - Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging
On 9 June 2020 the Appellate Body issued its reports in the cases brought by Honduras and the Dominican Republic in “Australia — Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging” (DS435 and DS441).
WIPO-WTO colloquium papers 2019
The WIPO-WTO Colloquium Papers is a peer-reviewed academic journal, published jointly by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization each year since 2010. Providing a uniquely representative and diverse showcase for emerging IP scholarship from across the globe, the journal aims to stimulate analysis and debate on intellectual property (IP) issues particularly of interest to developing countries. And it offers an avenue for the dissemination of a broader and more geographically diverse and representative range of scholarship than is common in much of the academic literature on IP law and policy.
Product Patents and Access to Innovative Medicines in a Post-TRIPS era
This WTO working paper studies availability and affordability of new and innovative pharmaceuticals in a post-TRIPS era. The WTO’s TRIPS Agreement (TRIPS) makes it obligatory for WTO members– except least-developed country members (LDCs) - to provide pharmaceutical product patents with a 20-year protection term. Developing country members, other than LDCs, were meant to be compliant with this provision of TRIPS by 2005.
A world of opportunities and challenges
Research published by the European Parliament in 2017 claimed that Blockchain could “change our lives” (Boucher, 2017). What the various blockchain applications that are being developed in areas as diverse as trade finance, trade facilitation, trade in services, intellectual property and government procurement show is that Blockchain has the potential to impact both the traders and the government agencies involved in international trade significantly. Opportunities are multifaceted, but will only be realized if several key challenges are addressed.
Conclusion
Research published by the European Parliament in 2017 claimed that Blockchain could “change our lives” (Boucher, 2017). What the various blockchain applications that are being developed in areas as diverse as trade finance, trade facilitation, trade in services, intellectual property and government procurement show is that Blockchain has the potential to impact both the traders and the government agencies involved in international trade significantly. Opportunities are multifaceted, but will only be realized if several key challenges are addressed.
Blockchain’s key features
Blockchain for tech fans
Introduction
The world is continually changing, driven by technological innovations that affect the way we live and do business. The history of the world economy is intimately linked to technological progress. The invention of the steam engine mechanized production, the discovery of electricity enabled mass production, and the rise of the internet made it possible to coordinate various production stages at a distance, leading to a fragmentation of production that gave rise to global value chains.
Acknowledgements
My sincere thanks go to my colleague Ms Kenza Le Mentec for her precious guidance. Kenza introduced me to the subject and provided invaluable inputs, in particular for the technical sections describing the technology and the section on trade facilitation. This publication would not have been possible without her support.
Can blockchain revolutionize international trade?
Trade has always been shaped by technological innovation. In recent times, a new technology, Blockchain, has been greeted by many as the next big game-changer. Can Blockchain revolutionize international trade? This publication seeks to demystify the Blockchain phenomenon by providing a basic explanation of the technology. It analyses the relevance of this technology for international trade by reviewing how it is currently used or can be used in the various areas covered by WTO rules. In doing so, it provides an insight into the extent to which this technology could affect cross-border trade in goods and services, and intellectual property rights. It discusses the potential of Blockchain for reducing trade costs and enhancing supply chain transparency as well as the opportunities it provides for small-scale producers and companies. Finally, it reviews various challenges that must be addressed before the technology can be used on a wide scale and have a significant impact on international trade.
Can Blockchain revolutionize international trade?
The number of headlines claiming that Blockchain can revolutionize various areas of international trade, from trade finance to customs procedures and intellectual property, are legion. The transparent, decentralized and immutable nature of Blockchain has sparked the interest of private actors – and governments – to explore the potential of this technology to enhance the efficiency of trade processes, and a myriad of proofs of concepts and pilot projects using Blockchain have been developed in virtually all areas of international trade.
Blockchain in a nutshell
WIPO-WTO colloquium papers 2018
The WIPO-WTO Colloquium Papers is a peer-reviewed academic journal, published jointly by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization each year since 2010. Providing a uniquely representative and diverse showcase for emerging IP scholarship from across the globe, the journal aims to stimulate analysis and debate on intellectual property (IP) issues particularly of interest to developing countries. And it offers an avenue for the dissemination of a broader and more geographically diverse and representative range of scholarship than is common in much of the academic literature on IP law and policy.
Australia - Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging
On 28 June 2018 the WTO circulated the panel report in the cases brought by Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Indonesia in “Australia — Certain Measures Concerning Trademarks, Geographical Indications and Other Plain Packaging Requirements Applicable to Tobacco Products and Packaging.
Competition Agency Guidelines and Policy Initiatives Regarding the Application of Competition Law Vis-À-Vis Intellectual Property
Competition agency guidelines, policy statements and related advocacy are an important vehicle for policy expression and the guidance of firms across the full spectrum of anti-competitive practices and market conduct.
Least-Developed Countries, Transfer of Technology and the Trips Agreement
This paper examines the background of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement, the nature of this obligation on developed country Members that pertains to the promotion of technology transfer to LDC Members and how it is being implemented and how such implementation is being monitored in the TRIPS Council.
The Application of Competition Policy Vis-À-Vis Intellectual Property Rights
This paper examines the evolution of national competition (antitrust) policies and enforcement approaches vis-à-vis intellectual property rights (IPRs) and associated anti-competitive practices in major jurisdictions over the past several decades. It focuses especially on the underlying process of economic learning that has, the authors suggest, driven relevant policy changes.