Do we need an international treaty for reading disabled persons?
Yes, and today the World Blind Union is seeking international support for a proposed Treaty for Reading Disabled Persons at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The next meeting where this matter could be taken up is at the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights taking place in Geneva, May 25-29, 2009.
As an early proponent of the use of patent pools to expand access to medical technologies, our initial reaction to the GSK announcement is that GSK is responding to several new developments.
February 19, 2009
Press Advisory on NGO letters to WHO and WTO on topic of Dutch seizures of generic medicines in-transit from India to Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
In response to news about four seizures of generic medicines manufactured in India and shipped through the Netherlands in route to Brazil, Colombia and Peru, sixteen public health, consumer and development NGOs have sent separate letters to the heads of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
On 3 February 2009 WIPO released the revised Report on the International Patent System (SCP/12/3 Rev.2) with three annexes. Continue Reading
On 3 February 2009, Ambassador Eckart Guth of the European Communities to the World Trade Organization made the following intervention at the WTO General Council on the subject of the seizure of losartan by the Dutch customs authorities.
WTO GENERAL COUNCIL (3rd February 2009)
Any Other Business
EC INTERVENTION
There are plans for the next ACTA negotiation to take place in Rabat, Morocco. However, since none of the Obama trade people have been placed at USTR, this might be delayed.
The USTR is still maintaining secrecy over details of the negotiation, including the names of participants and all of the proposed texts for negotiations. Despite this, KEI has obtained some documents related to the negotiations. We can report the following:
On this day, 3 February 2009, H.E. Ambassador Roberto AZEVĂDO, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other economic organizations in Geneva made the following intervention at the WTO General Council meeting on the seizure by Dutch authorities of a cargo of 500 kilos of losartan potassium en route from India to Brazil.
Judd Gregg will reportedly be appointed as Sec. of Commerce today.
Here a few data points on pharmaceutical issues.
Romulus
Although the founding of Rome is a mystery, the myths of its origin hold that Romulus and Remus, the sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, abandoned by their parents on the banks of the river Tiber, were suckled by a she-wolf, Lupa. Upon reaching adulthood, Romulus and Remus vied for control of Rome. According to Wikipedia,
Over the past several weeks there have been a several cases where some well motivated and knowledgeable persons about copyright policy have expressed criticism of an effort by WIPO to negotiate a treaty for persons who are blind or have other reading disabilities, on the grounds that this is not ambitious enough, and a larger all inclusive treaty on limitations and exceptions should be the target.