Observers Watchful Of US Trade Impact On Medicines Access 24/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen The United States has begun incorporating a revised intellectual property and health policy into its bilateral trade deals. But although the overall softer approach towards its partners may improve access to medicines, the debate on the impact of the US free trade agreements on public health in developing countries is […]
Rwanda Pioneers Use Of WTO Patent Flexibility For HIV/AIDS Medicine 20/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Years after it was permitted under international trade law, the first country has notified the World Trade Organization that it will use a flexibility allowing it to address public health needs by importing a patented medicine produced without authorisation of the patent holder. Rwanda this week told the WTO it […]
Parlamento aplaza acuerdo de OMC sobre PI y Salud Pública hasta que la UE dé un impulso al acceso bilateral a medicamentos 19/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por David Cronin para Intellectual Property Watch Los miembros del Parlamento Europeo han decidido aplazar la aceptación del protocolo a un acuerdo de la Organización Mundial del Comercio en materia de patentes sobre medicamentos, a la espera de que los gobiernos de la Unión Europea otorguen un mayor respaldo político y financiero a los países […]
Parliament Delays WTO IP Health Deal Till EU Boosts Bilateral Drug Access 12/07/2007 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to delay approval of a World Trade Organization agreement on patents for medicines, pending European Union governments giving greater political and financial support to poor countries seeking to boost the supply of affordable drugs. The 785-strong Parliament adopted a resolution […]
Panelists Predict Future International IP Protection Of Traditional Knowledge 11/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen National intellectual property protection regimes for traditional knowledge in Peru and China were seen as somewhat effective by panelists at a side-event to a World Intellectual Property Organization meeting this week, but the general message was that there still is need for an international system. Speakers also predicted that new […]
WIPO Meets On Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources 03/07/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A longstanding committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) considering how traditional knowledge and genetic resources may best be protected against misuse has more on its plate than ever heading into the final meeting of its two-year mandate. But the eight-day meeting may not be enough time to complete […]
OECD Meeting Highlights New Drug Purchasing Model Despite NGO Doubts 27/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen A recent Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) high-level meeting on boosting the development of medicines for neglected diseases mainly found in developing countries, focused on a new model under which governments promise up-front to buy a certain medicine once it has been developed. The Advance Market Commitments (AMC) […]
WIPO Development Meeting Side-Events Held On Patents, Competition, Implementation 19/06/2007 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Side-events were held by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), an intergovernmental organisation and the Canadian competition authority last week alongside the negotiations for a Development Agenda at the World Intellectual Property Organization. They focused on implementation of such an agenda in developing countries, the relationship between intellectual property rights and competition […]
Regulators Wrestle With Data Exclusivity For Pharmaceuticals Worldwide 18/06/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch A debate over how long to give exclusive rights over data submitted by pharmaceutical companies to governments in order to receive approval to sell a drug in their markets is controversial not only in India, but worldwide.
Imperfect Compromise Seen In India Data Exclusivity Report 18/06/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch When the Indian government published its report recently on yet another pharmaceutical patent-related issue predicted to split the industry, the Indian newspapers were divided as to whether brand name producers, generics producers or public health advocates had won. The reason for the confusion is that the report is an exercise in appeasement, said Shamnad Basheer, a law professor at George Washington University Law School, and expert on this latest controversial subject, called data exclusivity, which is the rights drugs producers have over the data used to obtain marketing approval in a country.