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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Thought this was of interest,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Best<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>-------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Intellectual
Property Watch<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:12.0pt'>22 September 2008</span></font></b></strong><span
lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:
13.5pt'>Idris Bids WIPO Farewell; Newly Appointed DG Gurry Outlines Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><img width=170 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026"
src="cid:image001.gif@01C9200B.B9CDEF60"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Posted by William New @ 9:14 pm <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=3
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<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>By
William New<br>
Australian Francis Gurry became the next in a short list of leaders of the
World Intellectual Property Organization Monday, and promptly signalled a
programme of increased multilateralism and bolstered global and local relevance
for the United Nations body. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry’s
appointment to director general followed an emotional farewell to WIPO by Kamil
Idris, who held the top spot for 11 years. The change brought with it a general
mood of hope among staff, governments and stakeholders that divisions within
the organisation will be put to rest. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry,
who will take office on 1 October until 2014, laid out the makings of a diverse
programme with several new initiatives aimed at boosting multilateralism of
intellectual property policy, and at putting WIPO at the forefront of its field.
He plans to announce his detailed strategy on 20 October, consulting with
members until a meeting of the WIPO Programme and Budget Committee approves a
new budget in December. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
said urgent attention is needed for the backlog in the patent system; the
impact of the internet on copyright; counterfeiting and piracy; using
intellectual property to reduce the global “knowledge gap” and
build capacity in least-developed countries; and lack of protection of
traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions (folklore). <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.ip-watch.org/files/Idris%20farewell%20speech.pdf"
title="Idris farewell speech here"><span lang=EN-GB>Idris farewell speech here</span></a></span></font><span
lang=EN-GB> [pdf]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.ip-watch.org/files/Gurry%20acceptance%20speech%20here.pdf"
title="Gurry acceptance speech here"><span lang=EN-GB>Gurry acceptance speech
here</span></a></span></font><span lang=EN-GB> [pdf]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Multilateral
Mantra<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
touched on issues of interest to a wide spectrum of stakeholders. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>On
patents, he said the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which he called “the
backbone of this organisation,” is well-suited to address the backlog and
problems of quality in patent offices around the world. “The PCT provides
a better basis for constructing the future solution than any other one under
consideration or in the range of current imagination,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>In
copyright, the 19th century Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and
Artistic Works was one of the origins of WIPO, Gurry said, and in the 21st
century WIPO still is the best place for global solutions to be discussed on
the digital distribution of creative works. The organisation spent 10 years
until 2007 unsuccessfully negotiating a treaty on broadcasters’ rights
that was seen as backward-looking, but is now moving into new ideas such as a
possible treaty on limitations and exceptions to copyright. He called such a
treaty “entirely possible.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
said the 20th century model of returning value to the creators, performers and
their “business associates” is “under the most radical of
threats” from digital technology and the internet. He cautioned against
an unintentional move by default to a private law system of rights, and gave a
nod to copyright holders in pointing out that “in each country, there are
many more consumers than creators and performers, making political management
of the discussion uncomfortable.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>A
new stronger chord was struck by Gurry on the issue of protection against
illegal downloading of music and film from the internet, and against
counterfeit products. He restated the assertion that organised crime has become
a “major participant.” As some nations have begun actively
negotiating stronger protections outside WIPO, he said it is time for WIPO to
ask whether its role on enforcement should be limited to awareness-raising and
training, or a “more robust engagement” possibly with other
organisations. The issue is a global one, not regional, he told reporters, and
while not closing other efforts, WIPO should become the central point for the
process. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Copyright
industry representatives told <em><i><font face="Times New Roman">Intellectual
Property Watch</font></i></em> they welcome more discussion in WIPO about
enforcement, but were sceptical of the organisation’s ability to move the
issues quickly enough. So they were lukewarm to the idea of a centralised
discussion on enforcement in WIPO to the exclusion of other initiatives such as
ACTA. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>New
Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
devoted significant attention to the idea of using intellectual property to
reduce the gap in knowledge and increase participation in the benefits of
innovation and the knowledge economy. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>To
this end, he called for translating “political consensus into concrete
and effective projects.” WIPO can construct a “global knowledge
infrastructure, comprising public, freely available databases of technological
and scientific information and operating on common standards for data
interchange,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>He
said WIPO also could help countries to adopt national intellectual property and
innovation strategies, and he plans to boost human and financial resources to
the Least Developed Countries Division created by Idris. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Another
initiative will be to create an economic research and statistics division to
provide member states with impact studies to analyse national processes and new
developments affecting the IP world and WIPO. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Finally,
he called for the years-long discussion and negotiation about protection of
traditional knowledge and folklore to move to concrete outcomes. He did not,
however, mention genetic resources. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
said his ideas reflected the views of members and stakeholders. The role of
WIPO in policymaking is, “We propose, they dispose,” he told
reporters. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>New
Era of WIPO’s Global Relevance<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gurry
also proposed a new division in the secretariat focussing on the contribution
intellectual property and WIPO can make within the collection action against
these global challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
organisation needs to become more relevant by participating in the global
discussion on climate change, desertification, epidemics, access to health
care, food security, and the preservation of biodiversity, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>“Policies
designed to stimulate the creation and diffusion of technology are …
directly relevant to the consideration of the ways in which the global
community can respond to the problems,” he said. And intellectual
property rights exist to stimulate creation and innovation, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
organisation must increase cooperation with other organisations, including UN
bodies, Gurry said. He promised to create “trusted communication”
between stakeholders and improve organisational communications and dialogue. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
organisation is expected to keep a similar level budget next year as this year,
Gurry told the press briefing, as demand for its services is expected to
decline with the economic downturn while fees increase, making for a similar
level of revenues. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>But
he expects there to be some new positions to be advertised, such as in economic
research and statistical analysis, and scientific skills, as well as “IP
experts.” “We need new skills in the organisation,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Next
Round of Political Jockeying<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Despite
the seeming sigh of relief about the end of the DG race by all those at WIPO
headquarters Monday, the next round of political jockeying is only just
beginning. There will be several deputy director general positions to be filled
– starting with the one Gurry just left open, and several assistant
director general positions as well. The process of member states lobbying the
director general, Gurry, to have their candidate nominated by him has likely
already begun. He will likely suggest names in the new year and the Coordination
Committee, WIPO members’ executive body, will likely hold a meeting in
May or June to choose. Gurry told reporters that he did not anticipate his
vacated position being filled before the committee meeting next year. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>There
may be other top positions to fill as part of Gurry’s personal cabinet.
The transition team that worked to prepare the organisation for a new director
general did not focus on decisions, but more practical matters, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>A
Respectful Farewell<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Meanwhile,
Idris’s last address at WIPO included a long list of achievements of the
organisation under his leadership. Officials gave Idris an honourable farewell
despite the disruption of his term over a loss of confidence in his ability to
govern the organisation. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>“Kamil
Idris has made WIPO, if not yet a household name, then certainly we might say a
famous brand,” said Martin Uhomoibhi of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Nigeria</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the General Assembly
chair. Gurry thanked him and noted that he and Idris were colleagues at WIPO
for 23 of Gurry’s 25 years at the organisation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Idris
indicated that he would be returning to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Sudan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Members
Look to Future<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Brazil</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><span
lang=EN-GB>, whose candidate José Graça Aranha lost to Gurry by a single vote,
42 to 41, told the plenary that the future director general would have to
construct consensus, and made several policy suggestions. For instance, WIPO
must work to centralise efforts by governments on enforcement of intellectual
property rights, which has become dispersed to places like the World Customs
Organization and UN Universal Postal Union. They also urged progress on the
Development Agenda, and in the Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional
Knowledge and Folklore. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Up
to last week <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and a few other nations continued to examine the possibility of requesting a
vote in the assembly on Gurry’s nomination. On Friday night, however, a
letter of support for Gurry was sent by the Group of Latin American and
Caribbean countries, which includes <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place>. If a vote were held, it
would take one-third of WIPO membership to overturn Gurry’s nomination,
and sources said that support appeared to be lacking. Asked whether Graça
Aranha would receive a promotion in WIPO, Idris simply said there have been no
decisions and that he is a “valued colleague.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Pakistan</span></font></st1:country-region></st1:place><span
lang=EN-GB>, whose candidate Masood Khan placed a competitive third in the
nomination process, spoke on behalf of the Asian Group and praised Gurry,
noting “with satisfaction that the cloud of uncertainty that had settled
over WIPO for the last year is finally lifted.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>United
States Ambassador Warren Tichenor, on behalf of the Group B developed nations
(which led the push for leadership change), thanked the staff of WIPO for
enduring an “often time tumultuous year of transition.” With Gurry,
he said, “brighter days are ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:12.0pt'>William New may be reached at wnew@ip-watch.ch.</span></font></i></em><span
lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></font><b><font size=1 color=black face=Arial><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;font-weight:bold'>CIVICUS:
World <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><ST1:CITY><ST1:PLACE>Alliance</st1:place></st1:City></ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY>
for Citizen Participation</span></font></b><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>PO <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street
w:st="on">BOX</st1:Street> 933</st1:address>, 2135, <ST1:PLACE><ST1:CITY><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Johannesburg</ST1:CITY></ST1:PLACE></st1:City>, <ST1:COUNTRY-REGION><st1:country-region
w:st="on">South Africa</ST1:COUNTRY-REGION></st1:country-region></st1:place><br>
<a
href="file:///C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\estelle.baker\Application%20Data\Documents%20and%20Settings\micha.hollestelle\Application%20Data\Microsoft\Signatures\www.civicus.org"
title="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/estelle.baker/Application%20Data/Documents%20and%20Settings/micha.hollestelle/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.civicus.org">www.civicus.org</a></span></font><span
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