Posts Tagged: "Geoffrey Onyeama"

WIPO Meets to Begin Selection of Next Director General

We are now down to crunch time in the selection process for Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). During meetings held May 8 – 9, 2014, the General Assembly will decide who is appointed Director General for the next six-year term that will being October 1, 2014. But later this week we will have a clear indication about who that will likely be. The WIPO Coordination Committee will meet in Geneva on March 6 – 7, 2014, to nominate a candidate for appointment as the next Director General of WIPO. The four names up for consideration are: (1) Mr. Francis Gurry of Australia, who is the current Director General of WIPO; (2) Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama of Nigeria, who is currently Deputy Director General, Development Sector, at WIPO; (3) Ambassador Jüri Seilenthal of Estonia; and (4) Ambassador Alfredo Suescum Alfaro of Panama.

Gene Quinn

March 2, 2014

Will Scandal Cost Francis Gurry a Second Term at WIPO?

There is a lot at stake as WIPO picks its next Director General. Gurry himself replaced a WIPO Director General mired in scandal, and the WIPO mission is far too important to allow the agency to be tainted. Still, there is anything but complete unanimity within the patent community about who should lead WIPO moving forward. For reasons that are unexplained, Hal Wegner recently proclaimed that if Gurry is not re-elected doom and disaster would certainly follow, saying: “The slow path to destruction of the PCT through fee diversion would take place, coupled with an anti-innovation leadership.” Wegner does not explain why this would be the case, likely because there is little to no rationale reason to believe disaster would follow or that Onyeama, Seilenthal and Alfaro are anti-innovation.

Gene Quinn

February 11, 2014

WIPO Watch: Is there a conspiracy against Francis Gurry?

If this is a conspiracy to bring down Gurry it is one that includes a bipartisan group of highly experienced and very well respected Members of Congress. Having become a political watcher of sorts, it seems almost laughable to believe there is a conspiracy at play. The United States Congress cannot agree on anything any more, so when long serving, distinguished Members from both sides of the aisle uniformly agree and seek action and answers from the Obama Administration I take notice. Bipartisanship seems to so rarely happen any more, so when Members of Congress set aside party politics and unite there has to be at least some legitimate reason for careful scrutiny.

Gene Quinn

December 5, 2013