The Intellectual Property Owners Association’s (IPO) submission (7 February 2014, USTR-2013-0040) to USTR’s 2014 Special 301 Review expressed concern over various aspects of India’s policies including “India’s Forced Technology Transfer, Compulsory Licensing, and Lack of Effective IP Protection” and “Third… Continue Reading
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) submission (7 February 2014, USTR-2013-0040) to USTR’s 2014 Special 301 Review requested USTR to designate India a Priority Foreign Country. BIO expressed concerns over the robust use of patent oppositions in India: The Indian generic… Continue Reading
PhRMA
Link to submissions here.
Canada
Canadian judiciary has created a heightened standard for patentable utility.
On January 21, 2014, Ketaki Gokhale of Bloomberg published a story in Businessweek on disputes over drug patents. The story closed with a rather sinister quote attributed to Bayer CEO Marijn Dekkers, “We did not develop this medicine for Indians. Continue Reading
Next week, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) will hold a two-day hearing on “Trade, Investment, and Industrial Policies in India: Effects on the US Economy.” The first session will take place Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 1:00pm and the second session will convene on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 9:30am. Both sessions will be held at the ITC in the Main Hearing Room (room 101) at 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC.
On Friday, 31 January 2014 (6:30 PM Geneva time) the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) resumed in plenary mode to discuss the facilitator’s text (Mr. Victor Portelli, Australia) on the future work of this committee including activities on 1) Exceptions and Limitations to Patent Rights, 2) Quality of Patents, including Opposition Systems, 3) Patents and Health, 4 Confidentiality of communications between clients and their patent advisors and 5) Transfer of Technology.
SCP20: Opening statement of the European Union at WIPO’s Standing Committee on the Law of Patents, 27 January 2014
On 27 January 2014, Greece, on behalf of the European Union, delivered this opening statement at the 20th session of WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP). The EU’s priorities for WIPO’s patent committee include quality of patents (including opposition systems), work sharing and confidentiality of communication between client and their patent advisors.
With respect to limitations and exceptions to patent rights, the EU said,
Industry use of WHO Model List of Essential Medicines as defense against patent abuses
The following are some quotes by countries, companies, academics and other actors stating, suggesting or implying claiming that drugs not on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (WHO EML) should not be subject to a compulsory license.
Bayer. Political Principles.
http://www.bayer.com/en/innovation-requires-investment.aspx
Political Principles.
Innovation requires investment.
Good ideas must be worthwhile.Blogs and Press coverage of Pharma/Medicine device industry lobbying on South Africa patent reform (pharmagate)
Boseley, Sarah. 17 January 2014. “South African pharma firms accused of planning to delay patents law reform.” The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/south-african-pharma-accused-delay-patents-law-reform
De Wet, Phillip. 17 January 2014. “Motsoaledi: Big pharma’s ‘satanic’ plot is genocide.” Mail & Guardian. http://mg.co.za/article/2014-01-16-motsoaledi-big-pharmas-satanic-plot-is-genocide/