Knowledge Ecology International

11 February 2016: 5 groups express concerns over WIPO statements relating to UN High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Thiru

On Thursday, 11 February 2016, five groups including Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Oxfam, Stop AIDS, Third World Network (TWN) and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) sent a letter to Dr. Francis Gurry, Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) highlighting our concerns with statements expressed by WIPO relating to the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines (HLP). To date, we have yet to hear any formal response from WIPO. Continue Reading →

Colombia takes an important step in defining the public interest in compulsory licensing case

Posted on March 4, 2016 by James Love

(More on Colombia here: /colombia)

Andrea Carolina Reyes Rojas informs us that a committee appointed to consider a request for a compulsory license on the leukemia drug Imatinib has decided that there are public interest reasons to do so.

A copy of the decision is available here. Andrew Goldman shares some thoughts and context here.

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Colombia Technical Committee Recommends Declaration that a Compulsory License on Imatinib (Gleevec) Would Be in Public Interest

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Andrew Goldman

(More on Colombia here: /colombia)

In Colombia, a technical committee has issued a recommendation that a declaration be made that a compulsory license on imatinib (Gleevec) would be in the public interest. Under Colombian law, this is an important intermediary step prior to the actual grant of a compulsory license.

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KEI submissions to the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Access to Medicine

Posted on March 3, 2016 by James Love

Attached below are the four submissions for which KEI was the lead author to the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel (HLP) on Access to Medicine.

“The Need for Global Negotiations on Agreements to Fund R&D within the Context of a Progressive De-linking of R&D Costs from Product Prices”. Supported by 12 organizations; 1 individual; 3 Members of European Parliament.
“Increasing the Transparency of Markets for Drugs, Vaccines, Diagnostics and other Medical Technologies”. Supported by 17 organizations; 2 individuals; 3 Members of European Parliament.

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DHHS declared public health emergency for Zika virus

Posted on March 2, 2016 by James Love

DHHS has declared a public health emergency over the Zika virus, and authorized emergency use of diagnostic tests. (Copy here)

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Notes from KEI’s testimony at today’s USTR Special 301 hearing

Posted on March 2, 2016 by James Love

(An expanded, edited and better version of this is available in our March 4, 2016 reply comment to USTR, available here: https://www.keionline.org/node/2440)

These were my notes from my testimony for KEI at today’s USTR Special 301 hearing

Big market puts countries on the #special301 watch list

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Industry USTR filings refer to Indian Government agreement to block compulsory licenses

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Andrew Goldman

The dearth of recent compulsory licenses out of India has led to speculation that the Government has made an agreement not to issue such licenses.

On reviewing submissions for the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s upcoming 2016 Special 301 Review, several industry documents confirm that such an agreement exists.

The submission by the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center states:

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Schedule for the March 1, 2016 USTR Special 301 Hearing

Posted on February 29, 2016 by James Love

KEI is one of the non-government entities speaking at the USTR Special 301 hearing on Tuesday. We each get 7 minutes of testimony and 3 minutes of questions. (The schedule is here).

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KEI intervention: TTIP Round 12 – Stakeholder events , Brussels (24 February 2016)

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Thiru

KEI intervention: TTIP Stakeholder events Round 12, Brussels (24 February 2016)

A Positive Agenda for TTIP – What we would like to see in the TTIP that would expand access to knowledge?

1) Marrakesh Treaty ratification

The TTIP should include an obligation to ratify and to implement the WIPO Marrakesh Treaty for Persons Who Are Blind for Otherwise Disabled, in order to expand access to accessible works to persons with disabilities in the European Union and the United States, as well as in other countries.

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2016: AltraTech, KEI comments on NIH proposal for exclusive licenses for vitro diagnostics patents

Posted on February 23, 2016 by KEI Staff

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

February 22, 2016

Patrick McCue, Ph.D.
Senior Licensing and Patenting Manager
Technology Advancement Office
The National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
12A South Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
via email: patrick.mccue@nih.gov

Dear Dr. McCue:

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