Knowledge Ecology International

On May 5, 2015, KEI sent a letter to the USPTO regarding the implementation of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. The letter focuses on concerns that KEI and others have expressed that a treaty implementation by amendment of 17 U.S. Code § 1101, regarding the “Unauthorized fixation and trafficking in sound recordings and music videos,” creates problems, because the statute involves a right that is perpetual and not subject to normal copyright exceptions. Continue Reading →

Other KEI comments on NIH licenses are found here: /nih-licenses

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Every year USTR issues a list of countries targeted to be subjected to trade pressures over their policies on intellectual property rights. This year’s list was published on April 30, 2015. KEI has a copy of every version of the Special 301 list here: https://www.keionline.org/ustr/special301

USTR describes the list as follows:

The Special 301 Process
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Yesterday, under intense pressure from the powerful pharmaceutical industry lobby, California Assembly Member Dan Chiu withheld bill AB 463, the Pharmaceutical Cost Transparency Act of 2015. A vote on the bill had already been postponed for a week in order to allow Assembly Member Chiu more time to address various concerns raised by colleagues in the Health Committee. Continue Reading →

In addition to the numerous groups and institutions that stood in support of AB 463 (Pharmaceutical Cost Transparency Act of 2015) at the California Assembly Health Committee hearing on April 21st, six civil society groups that we are aware of have submitted letters or statements in support of the bill.

In alphabetical order, these include:

1. American Medical Students Association (AMSA)
2. National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP)
3. National Physicians Alliance (NPA)
4. Public Citizen
5. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)
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Yesterday (April 21,2015) the California Assembly held a Health Committee hearing to discuss various bills being offered, including Assembly Member Dan Chiu’s AB 463, titled the Pharmaceutical Cost Transparency Act of 2015.

AB 463 calls for the pharmaceutical industry to annually report its costs for developing and manufacturing a drug (for any course of treatment over $10k). The bill seeks to provide audited information on R&D costs, a topic for which the industry often makes unsupported and exaggerated claims.

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Yesterday, Politico published this story:

Leaked digital single market’s ‘evidence file’ reveals Commission’s ambitions. Documents show policy came before evidence for cybersecurity measures.
By ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH 20/4/15, 1:29 PM CET Updated 21/4/15, 11:33 AM CET
(http://www.politico.eu/article/leaked-digital-single-market-strategy-evidence/)
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