Rockefeller Foundation initiative to promote intellectual property (IP) policies
fairer to poor people
Recognizing that emerging international intellectual property (IP) policies
do not adequately reflect or respond to the concerns of poor people and
developing countries, the Rockefeller
Foundation has begun a multi-year initiative to support the emergence of
fairer, development-oriented IP policies. As part of this new initiative the
Foundation is launching this week a three-year series of meetings at its
international conference center in Northern Italy to focus attention on
neglected development perspectives on IP policy.
The Foundation will support the call for a more balanced international IP
policy framework by supporting initiatives to deepen analysis of the range
of possible IP policy options, demonstrate innovative practical approaches
to IP, build leadership among developing countries, NGOs and community
groups, and broadening participation in international IP policymaking.
Improving lives and livelihoods
"Through the work of our grantee organizations, the Foundation will
pursue
IP policies that protect poor consumers against rising costs of vital
technologies," said Gordon Conway, president of the Rockefeller Foundation.
"Technologies, such as new drugs and improved seed varieties, are crucial
to combating disease, alleviating hunger and reducing poverty. But the poor can
only benefit from these technologies if they are affordable. This depends on
removing the restrictions imposed by current Intellectual Property
policies."
By working for IP policies that defend the sharing of knowledge,
information, and research among scientists, inventors, farmers, and creators,
Rockefeller Foundation grantees will help sustain a vital
precondition for innovation. A component of the work will target
marginalized constituencies, supporting efforts to protect poor rural
farmers, indigenous communities and developing-country scientists from
unauthorized or unfairly compensated use of their knowledge. The Rockefeller
Foundation hopes that its efforts will contribute to maximizing the flexibility
of developing countries to devise national IP policies that
advance their sustainable development objectives.
Fostering a pro-poor IP policy agenda
To complement its grantmaking efforts, the Rockefeller Foundation is also
launching a three-year series of consultations and workshops, the Bellagio
Series on Development and Intellectual Property Policy. The Bellagio Series
will provide a venue for developing country policymakers, scientists, and
civil society groups to share and critically examine neglected
development-oriented IP policy options, develop political strategies, and
review broader approaches to promoting development and innovation. By
providing opportunities for historically marginalized actors and promising
new entrants to engage in strategic discussion of IP policy (such as
indigenous peoples and emerging IP policy leaders from developing
countries), the Foundation's strategy is to strengthen and broaden the
community of pro-poor, development-oriented IP analysts, advocates and
policymakers.
The Series will be convened at a newly-restored 17th century Capuchin friary
on the grounds of the Foundation's Bellagio Study and Conference Center on Lake
Como in Northern Italy. Held over several contiguous weeks, each annual series
will consist of several intersecting meetings, some hosted by external
organizations and some directly by the Foundation, depending on strategic
priorities, needs and policy opportunities. The Bellagio IP Series is not
designed to produce a specific, single report or set of conclusions.
2002 Bellagio IP Series meetings
The 2002 Bellagio IP Series is the first installment in the three-year
series of meetings and will feature the following five core meetings.
Towards development-oriented IP Policy: Setting an Agenda for the Next
Five Years.
30 October-2 November.
This meeting gathers a group of approximately 20 leading development and IP
analysts and developing country government experts with the aim of
identifying policy recommendations and actions required in the next five
years to rebalance the current terms of international engagement on IP
policy. Organized by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable
Development and the UN Conference for Trade and Development
Empowering New IP Policy Leadership.
12-15 November
This meeting will draw together a group of leading organizations, academics,
and a group of emerging IP experts from developing countries to help design
a strategy for mentoring a next generation of public-interest oriented IP
policy leaders from developing countries.
Organized by the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute
Workshop on Technology Transfer for Human Development.
15-17 November
A small group of experts will meet to explore the relative importance of IP
policy within the broader scope of policy and capacity needs related to
technology transfer and development, and identify priorities and policy
options in the context of ongoing WTO discussions on technology transfer.
Organized by the Rockefeller Foundation
Collective Management of IP: Tackling the Anti-Commons.
20-25 November
This meeting will draw together experts with experience in alternative,
collective approaches to IP, such as the open source movement, "creative
commons", and IP pooling mechanisms, to explore the concepts, potentials
and problems of knowledge/technology trusts.
Organized by the Rockefeller Foundation
Call of the Earth Circle: Indigenous Peoples' Dialogue on IP.
26-30 November
Launching an indigenous peoples network to articulate the varying
perspectives of indigenous peoples in international IP policy processes.
Organized by an Ad Hoc Steering Committee of Indigenous Peoples.
- Rockefeller Foundation
More information: www.rockfound.org
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