TWN Info Service on Intellectual Property Issues (June09/07)
5 June 2009
Third World Network

Please find below 2 news stories by IP Watch on recent developments in WIPO.

Regards
Sangeeta Shashikant
Third World Network
email: sangeeta@thirdworldnetwork.net

WIPO To Create Deputy Directors For Global Issues, Trademarks

By William New on 28 May 2009 @ 6:24 pm

The World Intellectual Property Organization is expected this month to name a new deputy director general for global challenges, and will raise trademarks to the DDG level while moving copyright responsibility back to the assistant director general level, according to sources at WIPO. The appointments have not been finalised and consultations may be continuing.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, who took office on 1 October 2008, is assembling his cabinet of four DDGs and three ADGs, as exists currently. But he is proposing to change the responsibilities somewhat and almost all seven of the officials will be in new roles. DDGs are second only to the DG.

Gurry’s recommendations, the result of consultations with members, will go to the WIPO executive body, the 83-member Coordination Committee, on 15-16 June. A WIPO source said that for appointments it is not necessary to obtain full membership approval at the annual General Assemblies in September. Rather, the Coordination Committee’s decision will be final, and the newcomers will take office at the end of November if approved by committee. The appointments are for five years.

According to sources, Geoffrey Onyeama of Nigeria (a current ADG) will be the DDG for technical assistance and capacity building, James Pooley of the United States will be DDG for patents, and Wang Binyang of China (also a current ADG) will be DDG for trademarks (reportedly after a personal request from the Chinese premier, according to an informed source).

Johannes Wichard of Germany (who formerly worked at WIPO) will be DDG for global challenges overseeing the new chief economist and global issues expert positions (both expected to be named soon), as well as the Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, ‘respect’ for IP (enforcement), and arbitration and mediation.

At the ADG level, copyrights will be handled by Ambassador Trevor Clarke of Barbados, current chair of the WIPO Committee on Development and IP and chair of World Trade Organization special sessions on the geographical indication register. Ambi Sundaram of Sri Lanka (moving over from the World Health Organization) will be responsible for administrative and organisational matters. Yoshiyuki Takagi of Japan will be ADG for global infrastructure, overseeing matters such as databases.

Copyright has been at the DDG level for the past 6 years. But according to a source, this has traditionally been an ADG level responsibility and was elevated to DDG as part of a broader set of responsibilities, such as enforcement, with the appointment of Rita Hayes to that position. She had been US ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) prior to the appointment.

Wang, Takagi and Onyeama all currently work at WIPO.

There has been some continued discussion to settle political questions, according to sources, but it is unclear what the remaining issues are. One source suggested there is a push for a new system that can bring in more outsiders with new ideas.

WIPO Names First-Ever Chief Economist

By William New on 2 June 2009 @ 11:45 am

A well-known European economist has been named the first-ever Chief Economist at the World Intellectual Property Organization, according to sources.

The announcement has not been made officially yet, but sources say the selection of Professor Carsten Fink is final and that he is expected start at the UN body as soon as August.

Fink, who is German, is professor of international economics at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Before joining St. Gallen’s Economics Department, Fink was a visiting professor at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and a visiting senior fellow at the Group d’Economie Mondiale, a research institute at Sciences Po.

Fink is recognised in Geneva for his years as senior economist at the World Bank Institute, based at the World Bank’s office in Geneva. He also was an economist in the Trade Division of the World Bank’s research department, based in Washington, DC.

Fink focuses on the economic effects of trade reforms and the rules of international trade agreements, according to sources. Much of his research has focused on legal and economic aspects of trade policy in services and the effects of intellectual property rights protection in developing countries. His research has been published in a number of academic journals and books, for instance, a recent book on IP and development.

He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and a Master of Science degree in economics from the University of Oregon in the United States.

WIPO member states have sought to elevate economic analysis for some time, according to sources. The chief economist likely will oversee WIPO’s increased focus on economic analysis, possibly through a special division in the future. WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has made this issue a priority since taking office last October.

WIPO has posted a job vacancy for another economist as well.

A source said that an announcement also may follow soon on a new director of global issues at WIPO.