Thomson Reuters Partners with the World Intellectual Property Organization to Offer Free and Low-Cost Access to Patent Information in Developing Nations
By Thomson Reuters, PRNEThursday, September 16, 2010
Researchers in developing countries poised to stimulate innovation through access to Thomson Innovation, the market-leading IP research solution
LONDON, September 17, 2010 - The IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters partnered with the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for the launch of the Access to
Specialized Patent Information (ASPI) program at WIPO's headquarters in
Geneva, Switzerland, today. ASPI will give industrial property offices and
government and academic researchers in developing countries free and low-cost
access to comprehensive patent information, to foster innovation and
participate more fully in the global economy.
(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100917/NY67060 ) (Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100917/NY67060 )
Mr. David Brown, president of the IP Solutions business of Thomson
Reuters, commemorated the program by acknowledging its importance in a speech
to attendees, followed by a signing ceremony and press conference with WIPO
Director General Mr. Francis Gurry and other dignitaries.
"Some have said that necessity is the spark for innovation, but in many
cases necessity may not be enough. Intelligent information, however, can be
the fuel for accelerating innovation on a sustained basis," said Mr. Brown.
"The ASPI program offers the hope that through innovation - and its
protection via intellectual property - developing nations can grow
economically, socially, and technically, to foster human welfare and
development, and become more integrated within the global knowledge economy."
Innovation is beginning to lead BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China)
and VISTA (Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and Argentina) nations to
advance technically, economically and socially. The economies of the latter
have been forecast to grow 25.5 times more rapidly than today's seven most
industrialized countries by 2050.
"Patent information represents a critical source of knowledge and insight
for researchers and innovators, legal professionals, entrepreneurs, and
policymakers across the globe," said Mr. Gurry. The ASPI program will allow
developing and least-developed countries to benefit from enhanced access to
powerful tools for exploiting this valuable resource under very favorable
conditions. The program also represents a pioneering public-private
partnership between WIPO and leading patent data service providers, whose
generosity and vision have made this program possible."
Thomson Innovation, the premier intellectual property research and
analysis platform from Thomson Reuters, will be made available to researchers
through the program.
There are numerous countries eligible for free, or significantly reduced,
access to Thomson Innovation. The countries comprise three tiers:
1. Group 1 - least-developed nations, such as Cambodia, Haiti and Somalia 2. Group 2 - marginally developed nations, such as Albania and Fiji 3. Group 3 - developing nations, such as Barbados, Libya and Mauritius
For more information about the ASPI program and countries benefiting from
it, go to: www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/programs/aspi
About the World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized
agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and
accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards
creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development
while safeguarding the public interest. WIPO was established by the WIPO
Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the
protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in
collaboration with other international organizations. Its headquarters are in
Geneva, Switzerland.
About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information
for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with
innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision
makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science
and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization.
With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan,
Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs 55,000 people and operates in over 100
countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.
Laura Gaze, IP Solutions, +1-203-868-3340, laura.gaze at thomsonreuters.com, or John Roderick, J. Roderick Inc., +1-631-656-9736, john at jroderick.com
Tags: France, Germany, London, September 17, Thomson Reuters, United Kingdom