Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP)

Key achievements in 2003

The work of the Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS-IP) is firmly grounded by the mission of CAS-IP, which is to facilitate the exchange of intellectual property (IP) experiences among the Centers and to assist the Centers in IP Management issues. Three major outputs of CAS-IP for the year 2003 include:

1. Leadership and support of the CGIAR IP Managers/Focal Points Working Group, the "CGIAR-IP-Strategy Group"
With funding support from GTZ, CAS organized the 3rd Annual CGIAR-IP-Strategy Meeting at the ILRI-Nairobi campus. This meeting, which was attended by all 5 of the CGIAR Center IP-Managers and 4 Center IP-Focal Point individuals, shared experiences such as management expectations in light of specific job descriptions for individual IP Managers; discussion of a standard terms-of-reference (ToR) for IP Managers; introduction of IP/asset/products -reporting and inventory systems in several Centers; various materials transfer agreements (MTAs) used by Centers; contract/licensing issues; and, training experiences for both Center and National institution staff.

2. Tools, papers, and presentations for the CGIAR pilot-Challenge Programs
During 2003, all three pilot Challenge Programs (CPs) received approval and funding from the CGIAR for the initiation of work. CAS worked with each of the CPs, Water&Food, HarvestPlus, and Unlocking Genetic Diversity in Crops for the Resource-Poor, in the area of IP and asset/product management, which includes presentations at CP meetings by the CAS manager and the initiation of collaboration with CP management/Steering Committees.

3. Preparation and delivery of a training module, "Managing Institutional Intellectual Assets and IP"
With funding and support from ILRI and ISNAR, CAS and the CGIAR IP Managers organized and presented new training materials to 35 national administrative and research staff from institutions in the East African region. The workshop was held at the ILRI-Nairobi campus, 17-19 September 2003. Workbooks (Trainer and Participant versions) and a CD-Rom version of the materials are available. Revised materials will be available in late 2004.

CAS in collaboration with other SO units in 2003:

• In December 2003, the Manager of the CGIAR Central Advisory Service on Intellectual Property (CAS), along with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Internal Audit Unit (IAU) Director, reviewed arrangements at CIFOR for implementation of its component of the Global Public Good Assets (GPGA) Database Upgrade. A combined report on this activity was filed with CIFOR in early 2004.
• Along with the CIO, CAS supported the annual meeting of the CGIAR Information Managers, held in September 2003, in The Hague. CAS arranged for an expert in copyright issues, Dr. Lucie Guibault of the University of Amsterdam to make a presentation and to answer questions regarding copyright and database rights.