The World Trade Organization committee on intellectual property rights met this week and addressed a request by least developed countries for an extension of the period to enforce WTO intellectual property rules.

Jane Parry wrote on this network in January about how genomics could help developing countries deal with disease. Her article provides a timely reminder of the health problems faced by all countries, but particularly developing countries.

The International Free Software Workshop (WSL) is organizing an international conference on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) that will take place in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 3- 6 July 2013.

An initiative of the U.S. Department of State, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization and leading education innovators to expand access to free, high-quality education materials in Arabic, with a focus on science and technology. 

The tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda will tell the World Trade Organization that it intends to use trade sanctions against the United States, which it could enforce by allowing movie downloads without protecting US copyright.

The purpose of this article is to examine the feasibility and working of the conciliatory means for settlement of intellectual property disputes in Jordan. Arbitration is the principal mechanism used.

WIPO and the Ministry of Economy and Trade of the Republic of Lebanon are holding a two-day workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and SMEs. The title of the workshop is “Facilitating Access to Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and Its Role in Enhancing the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs).”

The Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice is soliciting contributions for its upcoming special issue focused on access to knowledge to be published in 2013.

On October 4, 2004, Brazil and Argentina requested that WIPO adopt a development-oriented approach to IP and to reconsider its work in relation to developing countries. In October, 2007, WIPO member States adopted a historic decision for the benefit of developing countries, to establish a WIPO Development Agenda.

The recognition of intellectual property rights is integral to innovation systems and assumes even greater significance when products and services are traded in global markets. The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) which was adopted at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round established for the first time