[pp.int.general] Copenhagen, our turn to dive into

[Reinier Bakels]

> Patents are one of the main issues concerning the transfer of 
> technologies to the "2nd and 3rd world" countries in order to fight 
> climate change. Even if most of the press focuses on the $$$ transfert 
> question, it is in fact in two parts: the 10 billions $/year for the 
> developed countries to pay, and the techs that have to be transfered.
>
> i really think we should all voice loud about that, it is the due time.
>
> A few elements i have already gathered:
>
> - only 2,15% of the patents at the WiPO concern environment.
> - That figure isn't growing.
> - it's covered under the TRIPS
> http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/trips_e.htm
> - french official report covering the subject (in French)
> http://www.strategie.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=1081
>
I hear contracdictory signals. First the rumor was that e.g. China was not 
prepared to agree with CO2 reduction plans because it would force them to 
pay zillions of $ to the US manufacturers of climate "adaptation and 
mitigation" technologies, but later an expert told me that really the 
developed world is (formally) obliged to pay.

I was at a WIPO conference in Geneva in July where a man from General 
Electric explained that his bosses were *only* iteressed in "the bottom 
line" ("no compassion" - never seeen an American businessman before 
explaining that he did not bother about ethics!). All presentations plus 
audio are on the WIPO website.

Part of the confusion is that many of the "climate" technologies are not 
patented at all PLUS that lesser developed countries don't just need the 
technology - BUT "capacity building" which includes e.g. education of local 
people.

During a recent conference, I heard an interesting conversation between a 
scholar who was working on patents & climate and another working on patents 
& pharma. The latter expressed to be envious of the former: in pharma it is 
a complete mess, with patents as a major roadblock for innovation (yes, 
unbelievable!) BUT the climate problem has the "advantage" of being 
relatively new PLUS there is a true "sense of urgency" that may help true 
breakthoughs =- in line with pirate desires.

We may *die* because pharma developers spend more time to litigation than to 
research, but we should not *drown*  because the same mistakes are made 
again in the climate field.

reinier