Five Years After The Indian Supreme Court’s Novartis Verdict 20/05/2018 by Patralekha Chatterjee for Intellectual Property Watch 13 Comments On 1 April 2013, in a packed room inside India’s Supreme Court, a magnificent building in Indo-British architectural style, two judges delivered a verdict that impacted the national and global conversation about patents and patients. India’s apex court delivered a 112-page landmark judgement which dismissed Swiss pharma giant Novartis AG’s appeal for a patent for its life-saving cancer drug marketed under brand name Glivec in most parts of the world. The Novartis case triggered a hugely polarising discourse around the world about a key feature of India’s patent regime.
WIPO Discusses New Field Projects On Women, Tourism, And The Software Sector 17/05/2018 by Damilola Adepeju for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The ongoing 21st session of the World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and IP this week considered a diverse set of three new project proposals. Canada, Mexico and the United States together, as well as Kenya, and Peru, proposed creative projects regarding the use of intellectual property for development related to women, tourism and […]
TRIPS Flexibilities In High Demand 16/05/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Using flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) has long been an issue of the developing world. But policymakers gathered at a meeting on access to health in Brussels today said there was an urgent need for European Union countries, too, to make more use of flexibilities.
Groups Target EU-Mercosur FTA To Advance Access To Health In Trade Deals 16/05/2018 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 12 Comments AIDS activists, health activists and civil society organizations in Brazil and Argentina are pushing back against the negative effects of the planned free trade agreement between the Mercosur countries and the European Union. The EU-Mercosur negotiations might be the best chance as of now to advance an intellectual property agenda that is more favourable to access to health, says Pedro Villardi, coordinator on IP policy issues at the Associação Brasiliera Interdisciplinar de Aids Observatorio National de Politicas de Aids (ABIA).
OECD Issues Paper On Blockchain And Competition Policy 11/05/2018 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The disruptive blockchain technology has been making waves, especially with Bitcoin and smart contracts taking centre stage. For some, it calls for a wide range of regulatory issues to be addressed, including patentability and more recently, competition-related concerns. Accordingly, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) hopes to assimilate contributions from stakeholders through its Blockchain Technology and Competition Policy Issue Paper.
Truvada Case Shows Civil Society’s Success With Pre-Grant Opposition 08/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 15 Comments The example of Gilead antiretroviral Truvada in Argentina and Brazil shows how civil society efforts to use patent opposition to patents it felt were unjustified were rewarded by patent withdrawal and rejection, even if the situation in Brazil might not be entirely settled.
What You Can Learn From The Licensing Execs At The LESI Annual Conference 2018 08/05/2018 by Guest contributor for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment “Strong IP Drives the Bottom Line”: Licensing executives, technology transfer officers and attorneys from all over the world met under this theme at the annual conference of the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) in San Diego from April 30 to May 1, 2018. Each year, the LESI annual conference brings together the strategists, pioneers and deal makers of the world to exchange about the hot topics in licensing, technology transfer and the business of IP. Bastian July of GoodIP reports on what you can learn from the keynote speeches and workshops he attended.
Civil Society Key In TRIPS Flexibility Implementation 04/05/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 22 Comments When the agreement on intellectual property was adopted by the World Trade Organization, a number of flexibilities were included in the text, mainly to give developing countries policy space to implement the agreement with development considerations. However, some countries through lack of awareness or economic pressure have not used those flexibilities fully, and found themselves facing difficulties addressing their public health needs, which some associate with this failure to use the flexibilities. Civil society has engaged in notable efforts to counter pressure and raise policymakers’ awareness for a wider access to medicines.
USTR IP Report Sparks Outcry Among Health Advocates 27/04/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments The annual Special 301 report of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued today sparked a quick outcry among health advocates over its seemingly more restrictive approach they say bullies other countries into unfairly promoting US pharmaceutical industry rights to an extent that would raise drug prices and limit accessibility.
USTR Annual Special 301 Report Intensifies Action On China, Colombia, Canada 27/04/2018 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments The annual report of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on the adequacy of trading partners’ protection of US intellectual property rights celebrated its 30th year this year with a sharper tone with China, in keeping with the Trump administration’s tough stance on the country. Also caught in the report are Colombia and Canada, which were downgraded to the “priority watch list.” Also, this year the report includes a special highlight on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.