Boston, Massachussets
April 25, 2007
Book will be unveiled, and
press conference held, at upcoming BIO event in Boston.
Project creates benchmark for
policy makers, public sector research leaders, technology
transfer professionals, licensing executives, and scientists;
offers tools and strategies for utilizing power of intellectual
property and public domain; aims to advance IP protected
technologies for both commercial and humanitarian ends
At the upcoming Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
International Convention, to be held May 6-9 in Boston,
Massachusetts, the Centre for the
Management of Intellectual Property in Health Research &
Development (MIHR) and the
Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA)
will formally launch the results of their recent and intensive
collaboration: Intellectual Property Management in Health and
Agricultural Innovation: A Handbook of Best Practices.
Written by practitioners in the
field and offering tools, strategies, and case studies, the
Handbook is just over
2000 pages, with two volumes and 157 chapters. Themes encompass
innovation in health and agricultural to
meet the needs of populations in developing countries. The
Handbook can be purchased at the BIO
Convention (subject to availability) or ordered online at
www.ipHandbook.org.
Generous sponsorship by the
Rockefeller Foundation and many other entities will allow free
distribution of the handbook to institutions in
low income countries. A free online version will also be
available beginning autumn 2007.
According to Dr. Alan Bennett,
Executive Director of the Public Intellectual Property Resource
for Agriculture (PIPRA) and one of the editors of the Handbook:
“It answers the question, ‘How can public sector entities best
fulfill their mission to bring their innovations to both the
world’s affluent and disadvantaged alike?’” Bennett emphasizes,
“PIPRA and MIHR will be assisting institutions and individuals
who need guidance in the actual implementation of the Handbook’s
suggested procedures.”
Anatole Krattiger, Editor in Chief
of the Handbook adds that, “The strength of this Handbook is the
depth and
breadth of its information. But just as notes only become music
when the bow meets the string, this book will
only matter when the reader puts it into action.” Krattiger is
convinced that the Handbook will incite “the public sector to
take intellectual property more seriously and put intellectual
property to work, leading to actions that will improve the lives
of millions.”
The Handbook has already been
endorsed by several noted leaders in the fields of agriculture,
biotechnology,
and intellectual property, including Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate Norman Borlaug, who said (in the Handbook’s
Forward): “This Handbook is timely… [it] shows how public sector
research institutions and developed countries alike can use
[intellectual property] to achieve their humanitarian and
socio-economic objectives… [It is a] valuable guide in helping
to navigate the complex—but rewarding—world of an increasingly
global innovation system.”
A press conference showcasing the
Handbook will be held, open to all registered Convention
participants,
at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Room 152
(located on the main level, next to the press work
room), on Sunday, May 6th, at 10 a.m. Confirmed speakers
include:
• Dr. Ariel
Pablos-Mendez—Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation
Dr. Pablos-Mendez has been a leading innovator globally of
product development partnerships for health. He has served
as the Director of Knowledge Management & Sharing at the
World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. While working
previously at the Rockefeller Foundation, he helped
spearhead the creation of the Global Alliance for TB Drug
Development and led a Foundation initiative on treating
mothers with AIDS and their families.
• Suresh Jadhav, Ph.D.—Executive Director (Q.A.) Serum
Institute of India Ltd.
Dr. Jadhav has been instrumental in the development and
adoption of the latest QC techniques for the Serum
Institute, the world’s largest producer of measles and DTP
vaccines, elevating the Institute to standards on par with
Western manufacturing facilities. He played a vital role in
securing accreditation from World Health Organization (WHO)
for the Serum Institute, putting the Serum Institute on the
global map as a supplier to U.N. agencies.
The Public Intellectual
Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA) is an organization
created by universities, public agencies, and non-profit
institutes engaged in agricultural research and development.
PIPRA provides resources and a collaborative framework for
achieving the most effective possible utilization of
intellectual property to advance innovation in agriculture, both
for humanitarian purposes and for regional or specialized
commercial markets. For more information visit
www.pipra.org .
The Centre for the Management
of Intellectual Property in Health Research and Development in
an international NGO based in Oxford, England. The goals of the
organization are to support innovative and strategic management
of intellectual property that both promotes the development of
medical products and public health tools to reduce global
disparities in health status, and ensures access to future
products by the poor. For more information visit
www.mihr.org. |
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