Meeting: WIPO Development Agenda (DA) + Access to Knowledge (A2K) Treaty

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: WIPO/DA - Access to Knowledge (a2k) Treaty - Feb 3-4,
2005 Genevameeting
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 12:14:20 -0500
From: James Love <[email protected]>
To: Random-bits <[email protected]>

This is a short note to let people know that TWN, CPTech and IFLA
intend to host a February 3 and 4 Geneva meeting to discuss the
WIPO development agenda (DA) and a Treaty on Access to Knowledge
(a2k).


In August 2004, Argentina and Brazil presented a proposal for a
development agenda at WIPO. The proposal and many of the comments
and discussions are on the web here:
http://www.cptech.org/ip/wipo/futureofwipo.html. One element of
the proposal was a possible Treaty on Access to Knowledge (a2k).
In the original Argentina/Brazil proposal, the context for the
a2k treaty concerned access to government funded research.
However, many other issues raised in the Argentina/Brazil
proposal could logically be discussed within a broader a2k
treaty, including for example a treaty on minimum copyright or
patent limitations and exceptions (copyright limitations and
exceptions were recently discussed at the WIPO SCCR, and will be
scheduled as a full agenda item in the June WIPO SCCR meeting),
proposals to encourage open access publishing models, free/open
source software, access to knowledge problems with legally
mandated Technological Protection Measures/Digital Rights
Management (TPM/DRM) regimes, the Control of Anticompetitive
Practices (Implementation of Articles 8, 31.k and 40 of the
TRIPS), implementation of Article 4 of the Doha Declaration on
TRIPS and Public Health, and proposals for a protocol on the
transfer of technology and knowledge to developing countries, as
well as other items mentioned or not mentioned in the
Argentina/Brazil proposal. For example, among topics not
mentioned in the Argentina/Brazil proposal would be a new
protocol with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to have global
coordination of notice and disclosure of patent claims on
proposed standards for bodies like the IETF and the W3C, or the
proposal for patent exceptions for public goods projects like the
Human Genome Project or the HapMap Project.

On October 4, 2004, the WIPO General Assembly issued a
“Decision on a Development Agenda” (see below). This decision
basically *FAST-TRACKS* discussion of the various topics in the
development agenda, including multiple meetings, a July 30 2005
report by the WIPO secretariat and consideration of the
Development Agenda at the September 2005 General Assembly
meeting.

In order to help consumer, development and civil society groups
engage in this debate, the Third World Network, CPTech and the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
will be holding a two day meeting in Geneva on February 3 and 4.
There will be further details out later, including an agenda. The
CPTech contact for the meeting is Manon Ress
([email protected]), for those who want further information.


General Assembly Decision on a Development Agenda
October 4, 2004

________________________________________________________________________

Following discussions, the General Assembly adopts the following
decision:

Recalling that the relationship between development and
intellectual property has continuously been raised in several
multilateral fora; Taking into account the activities carried out
by WIPO in the area of development;

Bearing in mind the internationally agreed development goals,
including those in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the
Decade 2001-2010, the Monterey Consensus, the Johannesburg
Declaration on Sustainable Development, the Declaration of
Principles and the Plan of Action of the first phase of the World
Summit on the Information Society and the Sao Paulo Consensus
adopted at UNCTAD XI;

(1) The General Assembly welcomes the initiative for a
development agenda and notes the proposals contained in document
WO/GA/31/11.

(2) The General Assembly decides to convene inter-sessional
intergovernmental meetings to examine the proposals contained in
document WO/GA/31/11, as well as additional proposals of Member
States. To the extent possible, the meetings will be convened in
conjunction with the 2005 session of the Permanent Committee on
Cooperation for Development Related to Intellectual Property. The
meetings, open to all Member States, will prepare a report by
July 30, 2005, for the consideration of the next General
Assembly. WIPO-accredited IGOs and NGOs are invited to
participate as observers in the meetings.

(3) The International Bureau shall undertake immediate
arrangements in order to organize with other relevant
multilateral organizations, including UNCTAD, WHO and UNIDO, WTO,
a joint international seminar on Intellectual Property and
Development, open to the participation of all stakeholders,
including NGOs, civil society and academia.

(4) The General Assembly decides to include this issue in its
September 2005 session.

-- 
James Love | Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org | mailto:[email protected]
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 200036
voice +1.202.387.8030 | fax +1.202.234.5176
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