AIPPI 2015: Exec committee welcomes new national groups
The executive committee of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) has met for the first time at this year’s World Congress, with Pakistan and Vietnam becoming approved national groups within the organisation.
Members of the 300-strong committee, the principal decision-making body of AIPPI, were first asked to vote on the accession of the two new nations today, October 12.
A group representing Pakistan, comprised of 38 members, was approved by 99% of the committee and a group representing Vietnam, which consists of 18 members, was backed by 97%.
The 2015 AIPPI World Congress is being held in Rio de Janeiro from October 10 to 14.
During the congress, national groups, of which there are now 66, make and vote on proposals for improving harmonisation of intellectual property laws.
For countries where no group of members exists, independent members can become part of the organisation.
Laurent Thibon, a member of the organising committee for this year’s meeting, said it was one the most important developments of the year and that there had been meetings in both Pakistan and Vietnam in the build up to their recognition.
The committee then heard about several alterations to AIPPI’s set-up.
First was the recognition that AIPPI’s congress will, starting from this year’s meeting, meet once every year as opposed to once every three years.
Changes to the terminology in AIPPI’s regulations, with delegates using the “paperless initiative” to view the amendments on their laptops and smartphones, were then outlined.
The amendments included changing the title of ‘workshops’ to ‘panel sessions’ in order to reflect that they constituted a discussion rather than work.
Sarah Matheson, AIPPI’s reporter general, then announced the formation of two new standing committees, one dedicated to pharmaceuticals and the other to commercialisation of IP.
“The pharma committee in particular is well overdue given the intense interest in pharma-related issues,” she said.
Tomorrow, October 13, sees four pharma-related sessions take place in the Louvre rooms I-II. Topics include personalised medicines and examination of patent validity.
Matheson added that there are now “dedicated efforts” to attract membership of AIPPI to more people, an effort which started after last year’s meeting in Toronto and that will continue after the Rio meeting.
“We all know the work we do but we need to make sure we are visible and have an impact outside AIPPI as well as in it,” she added.
The 2015 AIPPI World Congress runs from October 10 to 14 at the Windsor Barra Hotel and Congressos in Rio.
