The intellectual property rights

India and South Africa have proposed that WTO member states be allowed to waive patents and other intellectual property (IP) rights on any treatments and tools related to Covid-19 until the end of the pandemic, including for the Moderna and Pfizer/BionNTech vaccines that are expected to be approved for use in the coming weeks. … [Read more...] about UK faces calls to drop opposition to patent-free Covid vaccines

And Finally… New dawn: There was really only one story in town this week, and that was the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris. There was little ambiguity about where Hollywood stood on Donald Trump’s departure from office, as the likes of Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga flocked to Washington to burnish the day’s proceedings, while other entertainment royalty celebrated on Twitter. Disney executive chairman Bob Iger enthused: “Today was a great day in our nation, as President Biden & Vice President Harris assumed their roles with dignity, humility, a strong adherence to values & to the weighty responsibility of high office.” The Hulk himself Mark Ruffalo put it this way: “The Golden Toilet Presidency is over. A turd is a turd no matter where it lays.” You can read Deadline’s full inauguration coverage here. … [Read more...] about International Insider: Netflix By Numbers; Cannes Question Marks; Epic Games’ Movie Push; Bye-Bye ‘Peaky Blinders’

One of their own The tech industry has a lot at stake in who runs Commerce, and it’s likely pleased with Biden’s pick for Secretary. Jeff Hauser at the Revolving Door Project points out that the agency also influences intellectual property rules and plays a big role in creating and enforcing U.S. trade policy. Tech giants saw both their supply chains and profit margins threatened by the Trump Administration’s trade war with China. … [Read more...] about Biden picked an ex-VC to run Commerce. Her ties to tech might be too close