Industry Proposals Contrary To Spirit Of Marrakesh Treaty, Libraries Say 02/09/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments An international group of librarians has warned that rights holder organisations in some countries are promoting provisions that restrict and impede the access envisaged by the Marrakesh Treaty providing exceptions to copyrighted works for visually impaired persons.
The Downfall Of Invention: A Broken Patent System 18/08/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The cost of dozens of brand-name drugs have nearly doubled in just the past five years. Public outrage over drug prices extends from Capitol Hill to the presidential candidates to patients. In response, pharmaceutical executives are spending more on lobbying and marketing. Yet for all this attention, most of the proposed solutions for reducing prescription drug costs—tougher negotiations, appeals for transparent R&D costs or investigations into insurers—miss one of the primary sources of the problem: the way we award patents, writes Tahir Amin.
MSF Hearing On Opposition To Pfizer Pneumonia Patent In India 28/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) filed a patent opposition in March in India to prevent Pfizer from patenting a pneumonia drug and will defend its position in a hearing tomorrow at the Indian Patent Office.
Libraries, Groups Welcome WIPO Copyright Appointment, With Hope 28/07/2016 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment A range of highly active groups at the World Intellectual Property Organization representing libraries, archives, and digital civil liberties this week welcomed the appointment of a copyright industry lobbyist to lead WIPO copyright issues. But they have voiced their hope that the appointee, Sylvie Forbin of France, will quickly show leadership on the promotion and support of the cultural heritage sector as it relates to copyright.
Many Hepatitis C Patients Do Not Have Access To Medicines In India, Group Says 27/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Despite being the global leader of generic drug manufacturing, access to hepatitis C treatment in India remains out of reach for a large portion of the population, a civil society group has said in a new paper. The authors call for India to work on a national programme of prevention and treatment of hepatitis, and warn against voluntary licences developed by multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Infojustice: NGO And Academics Letter To US Secretary Of State On Access To Medicines 26/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments From Infojustice.org: Letter from 56 Non-profit Organizations and Academic Experts to Secretary Kerry Regarding State Department Pressure Against Access to Medicines Efforts
Swift Decision On Plain Packaging At WTO Unlikely; Ukraine Drops Out 26/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment As the list of countries adopting legislation making the packaging of tobacco products a lot less sexy is growing, the long-awaited decision of a World Trade Organization panel on Australia’s decision to enforce such legislation might not be coming before the end of the year. Meanwhile, one of the countries complaining about Australia’s legislation has left the fight.
The “Denial Playbook”: An Original Product Of The Oil Industry 22/07/2016 by Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments New documents reveal that the oil and tobacco industries took pages from the same book to engineer their decade long campaigns on denying the existence of climate change and smoking-related cancer. The playbook also appears to have originated not with tobacco, but with the oil industry itself, and the two even appeared to share patents.
Civil Society Calls On India To Backtrack On Policy Threatening Global HIV Response 21/07/2016 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The International AIDS Society made a statement today at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, voicing concerns about India’s recent policy which, according to the group, is threatening access to HIV treatment in India and around the world.
AIDS Conference: Will The UN High-Level Panel Report Deliver R&D And Access To Medicines? 20/07/2016 by Munyaradzi Makoni for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment DURBAN, South Africa – The lessons derived from the history of AIDS treatment have become a rallying call for civil society organisations globally. Not being able to afford AIDS medicines should not be repeated for people with other diseases, including HIV co-infections, treatment activists told world leaders here.