2014, NAM discussion of Brazil

The National Association of Manufacturers’s (NAM) submission (7 February 2014, USTR-2013-0040) to USTR’s 2014 Special 301 Review expressed concerns with aspects of Brazilian IPR policy including patent backlogs, ANVISA’s role in reviewing patents for pharmaceuticals, protection of test data for pharmaceuticals and Brazil’s role in WIPO advancing the use of compulsory licensing and requesting WIPO to develop a manual on the use of exceptions and limitations to the rights conferred by patents.

Continue Reading

Public Comments by Brian Pomper-Executive Director of the Innovation Alliance and Alliance for Fair Trade with India

Brian Arthur Pomper is a partner at the law firm of Akin Gump.

Mr. Pomper formerly served as chief international trade counsel to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). In that role, he was responsible for advising Chairman Baucus and other members of the Senate Finance Committee on all aspects of the Committee’s international trade and economic agenda.

Continue Reading

2014, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Global Intellectual Property Center) discussion of South Africa

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s (Global Intellectual Property Center) submission (7 February 2014, USTR-2013-0040) to USTR’s 2014 Special 301 expressed the following concerns with South Africa’s draft National Policy on Intellectual Property. The Chamber’s concerns include proposed changes in patentability guidelines and the possible introduction of a robust compulsory licensing framework. The Chamber requested USTR to push South Africa to adopt a “modern term of protection for copyright” (life plus 70).

South Africa

Patents

Continue Reading

Alliance for Fair Trade with India (AFTI): Ground zero for trade sanctions against India

The Alliance for Fair Trade with India (AFTI) was created in June 2013, to lobby for “increased action to address the erosion of intellectual property rights (“IPR”) in India.” According to the group, it is “comprised of organizations representing a range of U.S. industries adversely impacted by India’s troubling and frequently discriminatory policies, including manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and beyond.”

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

2014, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Global Intellectual Property Center) discussion of India

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s (Global Intellectual Property Center) submission (7 February 2014, USTR-2013-0040) to USTR’s 2014 Special 301 Review requests USTR classify India as a Priority Foreign Country specifically citing concerns over compulsory licensing. The submission noted that India… Continue Reading