[Ip-health] WIPO Summit will NOT take place...
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org
Fri, 11 Apr 2003 11:28:30 -0400
The WIPO Summit on Intellectual Property and the Knowledge Economy and
Industry and Private Sector Forum in Beijing (China) will NOT take place
as scheduled from 24 to 26 April 2003.
According to a WIPO press release, the postponement is attributable to
"prevailing circumstances"...is it SARS? Or a proposed declaration that
stated: "20.We affirm the need for all countries to implement their
intellectual property systems in accordance with their international
rights, obligations, and flexibilities, including those relating to
their levels of development and public policy goals;" emphasized the
need for balance (see article 21) and "condemn biopiracy and the
misappropriation of traditional knowledge"(23)
One source said that the US delegation (USPTO) wanted to re-negotiate
the language, but developing countries refused, and since the USPTO did
not want the text to go out this way... and the Chinese did not want a
summit without declaration, it was simpler NOT to have a summit.
Please find Techdaily story and the declaration
National Journal Tech Daily
04-09-2003 Intellectual Property:
A highly anticipated World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
summit on intellectual property and the knowledge economy scheduled for
April 24-26 in Beijing has been postponed. A WIPO announcement did not
offer any reasons for the postponement but said new dates are being
considered. U.S. non-governmental sources speculated that debate over
the draft declaration for the summit contributed to the delay. One
source said the U.S. government opposes certain provisions in the text,
including one that would affirm the need for countries to implement
intellectual property systems with flexibility related to their level of
development and public policy goals. Another paragraph would discourage
the misappropriation of genetic resources, "traditional knowledge" and
folklore. That could harm U.S. pharmaceutical companies' acquisition of
plant genetics and music companies' use of traditional music, the source
said. The delay comes as U.S. copyright industries are trying to elevate
a global anti-piracy campaign, especially in China.
Draft Declaration
WIPO ORIGINAL: English
DATE: March 13, 2003
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
GENEVA
SUMMIT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
AND THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
Beijing, April 24 to 26, 2003
prepared by the Co-Chairs
DRAFT DECLARATION (Prepared by the Co-Chairs)
1. We, the Heads of State and Government, assembled in
Beijing, China, for the first Summit organized by the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and hosted by the
Government of the People=92s Republic of China:
2. Reiterating that the economic, social and cultural
development of all nations is a major challenge for the
international community;
3. Recognizing that creativity and cultural diversity,
including multilingualism, are essential to human progress and
technological advancement and that intellectual property is an
important factor in fostering creativity and invention;
4. Recalling that the United Nations (UN) Millennium
Declaration was adopted in 2000 at the UN Millennium Summit
with the aim, inter alia, of creating an environment which is
conducive to development;
5. Convinced that intellectual property should be a tool for
achieving economic, social and cultural development, the
promotion and dissemination of science and technology, the
stimulation of economic growth and the closing of the
knowledge gap, and not an end in itself;
6. Conscious of the fact that information and communication
technologies, as well as science and technology, are evolving
rapidly, presenting the prospect of the knowledge economy and
an information society, but that the benefits of this progress
are not yet available to all;
7. Noting the entry into force of the WIPO Internet Treaties
that are aimed at resolving some of the intellectual property
issues resulting from the rapid evolution of information and
communication technologies;
8. Noting the importance of transparency in the legislative,
administrative and judicial process on intellectual property
matters and encouraging the widest possible participation of
all stakeholders in discussions on public policy goals and the
formulation of a policy relating to intellectual property
based on those discussions;
9. Desiring to enable innovators, researchers and
entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium-sized
enterprises, and academic institutions, to use the
intellectual property system for the benefit of society;
10.Conscious that there are both costs and benefits attached
to the protection of intellectual property rights;
11.Recognizing the efforts made in combating counterfeiting
and piracy, which are serious issues, and noting the
importance of adequate and effective legal measures and
remedies to protect intellectual property rights;
12.Mindful of all the treaties administered by WIPO as well as
the on-going discussions on issues relating to intellectual
property regimes;
13.Noting the importance of on-going discussions in WIPO and
in other fora on subjects such as the information society, the
environment, social development and public health, and their
relationship to intellectual property and the knowledge
economy;
14.Recalling the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) and the Doha
Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health;
15.Mindful of the purposes and principles of the United
Nations system aimed at ensuring the social, economic and
cultural development of all nations and, in this connection,
appreciating the role of WIPO as the specialized agency of the
United Nations with specific expertise, and leadership mandate
in the field of intellectual property, appreciating the
significant achievements WIPO has made in the field of
intellectual property, and welcoming the efforts of WIPO to
bring the intellectual property system closer to the general
public;
16.Celebrating today World Intellectual Property Day which
commemorates the entry into force of the Convention
Establishing WIPO in 1970;
Hereby resolve as follows:
17.We undertake, and also urge all relevant stakeholders, to
cooperate in promoting the use of intellectual property for
development, prosperity and cultural diversity, as well as for
maximizing the benefits of human ingenuity and inventiveness
for the good of humankind as a whole;
18.We further undertake to encourage measures that would
facilitate the transfer of technology, the promotion of
investment and capacity building;
19.We are determined to encourage creative and innovative
activity so as to further develop the knowledge economy for
the benefit of all peoples;
20.We affirm the need for all countries to implement their
intellectual property systems in accordance with their
international rights, obligations, and flexibilities,
including those relating to their levels of development and
public policy goals;
21.We emphasize the need for a balance between the interests
of the holder of intellectual property rights and those of the
public at large, consistent with intellectual property laws
and international agreements, and also emphasize the need to
curb unfair competition and anti-competitive practices;
22.We are determined to continue combating counterfeiting and
piracy in accordance with existing multilateral obligations
and our respective national laws and regulations that
implement those obligations;
23.We condemn biopiracy and the misappropriation of
traditional knowledge. We are committed to combating them and
finding appropriate and effective solutions for the protection
of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore;
24.We support WIPO in promoting international cooperation
among governments and all relevant stakeholders and in making
intellectual property more accessible and affordable;
25.We underscore the importance of maintaining a dialogue at
all useful levels for further addressing issues related to
intellectual property, and undertake to make efforts to
enhance public awareness and education on intellectual
property;
26.We encourage efforts to enhance technical and financial
cooperation in favor of developing countries, least-developed
countries and countries in transition to a market economy for
supporting them to build their capacity and develop
appropriate infrastructure, including human resources, to
effectively reap the benefits of the intellectual property
system; and
27.We invite all people in all countries from every sector of
society to join us in developing a shared vision of the
important role of intellectual property in the knowledge
economy and to use it as a powerful tool for economic, social
and cultural development.
[End]
-
http://www.wipo.org/summit-china/en/index.html
Press Release PR/2003/342
Geneva, April 9, 2003
MEMBER STATES INFORMED OF CHANGE IN DATES OF BEIJING SUMMIT
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, informed member states on Wednesday that the
WIPO Summit on Intellectual Property and the Knowledge Economy, and the
accompanying Industry and Private Sector Forum in Beijing, will not take
place as scheduled from April 24 to 26, 2003.
Dr. Idris told representatives of member states that "WIPO greatly
regrets that this important meeting cannot be held as scheduled owing to
prevailing circumstances." He said that new dates and other relevant
information regarding this event will be communicated in due course.
The Summit will address the key role of the intellectual property system
in stimulating creativity and innovation to drive economic growth
through wealth creation and business development. It will bring together
heads of government and other top officials, industry leaders,
academics, civil society, and other interested parties to talk about the
increasing importance of intellectual property in today=92s
knowledge-driven economies.
Today, a state does not have to be "lucky" =96 in terms of its possession
of land, labor and capital =96 to succeed. Creativity and innovation are
the new drivers of the world economy and national well-being
increasingly depends on the strategy a country develops to harness its
intellectual capital. An effective intellectual property system is the
foundation of such a strategy. Within knowledge-based, innovation-driven
economies, the intellectual property system is a dynamic tool for wealth
creation =96 providing an incentive for enterprises and individuals to
create and innovate; a fertile setting for the development of, and trade
in, intellectual assets; and a stable environment for domestic and
foreign investment.
For further information please contact the Media Relations and Public
Affairs Section Section at:
* Tel: (+41 22) - 338 81 61 or 338 95 47
* Fax: (+41 22) - 338 88 10
* Email: publicinf@wipo.int.
--
Manon Anne Ress
Consumer Project on Technology
www.cptech.org
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176