KEI statement on GSK’s announcement of policies to expand access to patented medicines
GSK has made a major announcement of new policies to expand access to its patented medicines. A copy of the press statement is here. Continue Reading
Intellectual Property Rights
Selected bills introduced in the U.S. Congress that include drug price or R&D transparency provisions
116th Congress Senate S.102 – Prescription Drug Price Relief Act of 2019 S.366 – FLAT Prices Act S.378 – Stop Price Gouging Act S.474 – Stopping the Pharmaceutical Industry from Keeping drugs Expensive (SPIKE) Act of 2019 S.476 – Creating… Continue Reading
Compulsory licensing in the context of U.S. injunction cases involving non-medical technologies
Selected cases where infringement exists, but a federal judge permits ongoing infringement. 2006. June 14: z4 Techs., Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., 434 F. Supp. 2d 437, 439 (E.D. Tex. 2006) Patents 6,044,471 and 6,785,825 disclose methods for limiting the unauthorized… Continue Reading
Final recommendation on Broadcasting and visual information on development of broadcast technologies
The Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights is winding down. The chair’s summary draft is still in works. However, here is the final recommendation regarding the broadcasting to the next WIPO General Assembly: “9. An agreement was reached on… Continue Reading
KEI statement: 22nd meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines
On Monday, 1 April 2019, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) delivered the following oral statement to the Open Session of the 22nd Meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines. The program for the open… Continue Reading
Verinata v. Ariosa – compulsory license granted to Roche over prenatal screening technologies under eBay v. MercExchange
On July 19, 2018, the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, denied a permanent injunction requested by Illumina, Inc, and instead ruled that a forward looking royalty for continued non-voluntary use of the invention, a type of compulsory license,… Continue Reading
UNDP, Unitaid, and WHO caught in Big Pharma’s crosshairs
PhRMA’s Special 301 submissions are part of a yearly ritual to shape the “Special 301” Report, an annual review of the global state of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement, conducted by the Office of the United States Trade… Continue Reading
Italy’s Draft WHO resolution: Improving the transparency of markets for drugs, vaccines and other health-related technologies
On 1 February 2019, Dr. Giulia Grillo, Italy’s Minister of Health, sent a letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), with an attached “first draft” of a resolution on “Improving the transparency… Continue Reading
TRIPS Council: Statement of the European Union on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest: Promoting Public Health Through Competition Law and Policy
On 1 February 2019, the World Trade Organization (WTO) published a submission (IP/C/W/651)by South Africa to the TRIPS Council on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest: Promoting Public Health Through Competition Law and Policy. The South African paper endeavored to… Continue Reading
WTO TRIPS Council: Submission of the European Union, the United States and 9 other WTO members on Public-Private Collaborations in Innovation
On 8 February 2019, the World Trade Organization (WTO) published a submission (IP/C/W/652) by Australia; Canada; Chile; The European Union; Hong Kong, China; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Singapore; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; and the United States to the TRIPS Council… Continue Reading
2019: KEI Comments Submitted to USTR Special 301 Review
On Thursday February 7, 2019, KEI submitted comments and intent to testify at the hearing for the 2019 US Trade Representative’s Special 301 review process. This year’s hearing will take place on Wednesday February 27, 2019 at the Office of… Continue Reading