US Supreme Court Puts New Limits On Patent Suits 23/05/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Yesterday’s United States Supreme Court decision in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Food Brands Group followed some familiar trends in Supreme Court jurisprudence. It overturned long-established Federal Circuit law, restricted the power of patent owners, and handed a stinging defeat to so-called “patent trolls” (companies that make money primarily by licensing their patents and suing those who refuse to purchase licenses). The Court did all this by limiting where patent infringement suits can be filed – and thus significantly changing patent litigation in the US.
No Free Lunch, G20 Health Ministers Find At First Meeting 20/05/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Group of 20 health ministers today finished their first joint table top exercise to simulate the outbreak of a new deadly viral pandemic in “Anycountry” and passed a seven-page final resolution on pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial resistance. Non-governmental experts and health organizations welcomed the first ever meeting of health ministers in the G20 format, but see a risk of framing the debate from a global North security perspective. And despite a call of urgency with regard to antimicrobial resistance, the G20 could not agree to include the de-linking of the cost of investment in R&D from the price of medical products.
WIPO Committee On Development Outcome Hailed As Most Positive In Years 20/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment After years of mostly discontented discussions at the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on IP and development, last week proved positive, with a 10 year political knot solved, an international conference, and a new project approved, as well as a number of recommendations to implement the 2007 WIPO Development Agenda.
Draft Cancer Resolution Might Be Set For Approval At World Health Assembly 19/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment According to sources, countries have agreed in the nick of time on a draft resolution on cancer prevention, control, and access to cancer medicines, and in particular the price of new cancer medicines, to be examined at the World Health Assembly next week.
Coordinated Global Solution Needed To Ensure Universal Vaccine Supply, Speakers Say 19/05/2017 by Elise De Geyter for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Shortages of vaccines are a worldwide problem with tremendous impact on health, affecting countries of all income groups and regions, speakers said at a recent industry event. Different possible solutions for shortages of vaccines were suggested during the panel discussion.
WIPO And The SDGs: Differing Views At Committee On IP And Development 19/05/2017 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The World Intellectual Property Organization, as a United Nations specialised agency, has a role to play in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030. How that might happen, and which goals the organisation should pursue are a matter of ongoing discussion at the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property this week. Views diverge on whether the 17 SDGs should be considered as a whole, of if the organisation should focus on what is considered as its particular expertise and mission.
G20 Health Ministers Receive Flurry Of Requests Ahead Of Their First-Ever Meeting 18/05/2017 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Civil society organisations and the Business 20 Dialogue all put their positions on the table before the opening of the first-ever meeting of G20 Health Ministers tomorrow in Berlin, Germany taking place tomorrow.
US Renegotiation Of NAFTA To Include IP Rights, Digital Trade 18/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Newly confirmed United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer issued a letter to Congress today stating that he will lead a renegotiation of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico. And the changes will include new provisions on intellectual property rights and digital trade.
March-in Rights: A Lost Opportunity To Lower US Drug Prices 18/05/2017 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 17 Comments It appears not just unfair, but absurdly so. The US government paid for research that produced a patented drug, the patents were licensed exclusively to a Japanese firm, and that firm is now committing price discrimination against the US. Astellas Pharma is selling its anti-prostate cancer drug, Xtandi, for over $129,000 per year per patient in the United States – triple the price of the drug in Japan. Alas, this situation is not unusual. Many drugs that were financed by US taxpayers are sold in the US at exorbitant prices, but are much cheaper in other high-income industrialized nations. This differential price problem could be solved easily. However, the US government has consistently refused to exercise its march-in rights in order to lower drug prices.
Major Research Funders, Institutions Pledge Transparency In Clinical Trials 18/05/2017 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment More transparency on clinical trials is expected after major research funders, research institutions, and international health groups agreed that the research they fund or support will publicly release results of clinical trials.