Today the 23rd Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore opened in Geneva. Copies of the meeting documents can be found at the following link:
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=27423
Amongst the meeting documents is the “Joint Recommendation on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge” submitted by the delegations of Canada, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.
The joint recommendations of the delegations highlight the on-going concern of stakeholders that patents may issue that are not novel and/or inventive in view of genetic resources and traditional knowledge and the desire to protect indigenous people from the effect of erroneous patenting of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
In order to avoid the issuances of erroneous patents, the Joint Recommendation document details the need to ensure Patent Offices have access to the necessary information on genetic resources and traditional knowledge. The document further discusses preventive measures to ensure patents are not granted erroneously, opposition measures to allow for third party challenges and finally support measures to facilitate the dissemination of information regarding genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
By: Claire Palmer