Open Forum on Draft SPLT

Thanks to Intelectual Property Watch for an overview of WIPO's Open Forum on the Draft Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT) held in Geneva on March 1-3, 2006.

Topics of discussion at the open forum included fields such as software and public health, the role of intellectual property in development, the impact of patenting of genes and life forms on upstream science meaning whether patents can get in the way of access to discoveries, disclosure of origin of traditional knowledge and genetic resources, exclusions from patentability and exceptions to patent rights.

The open forum documents may be found on the WIPO website.