What the 2001 Doha Declaration Changed

As the UN meets to discuss non-communicable diseases, one area of controversy is the effort by White House trade officials and the European Commissioner for Trade to block any mention in a Political Declaration of the November 14, 2001 WTO Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health.

This note explains why the Doha Declaration was important, and what USTR and DG-Trade are trying to do in the NCD resolution. I will start with a very quick history of the events that led to the 2001 WTO resolution.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Cables from Chile illustrate ongoing pressure by US trade officials on behalf of drug companies

Wikileaks has published several cables invovling Chile, a country that signed an FTA with the United States/ When the Chile/US FTA came into effect in 2004, it was the template for a series of subsequent Bush Administration FTA agreements that ramped up IPR protections for pharmacetuicals and copyrights, and it seemed aggressive at the time. Continue Reading

Vietnam cables: Data exclusivity should be automatic, comprehensive, retroactive and without procedures and formalities

Amb_Michalak_SW_ASEAN.jpg
Michael W. Michalak, former Ambassador to Vietnam, pressured Vietnam on behalf of PhRMA.

Cables recently published by Wikileaks illustrate the degree to which the U.S. has been engaged in writing laws and training judges and government officials in Vietnam, on a wide range of pharmaceutical and intellectual property issues.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

USPTO award of $4 million in fy 2010 grants to groups advising developing countries on intellectual property issues

Last year the USPTO announced the award of $4 million in fy 2009 grants to advise developing couintries on intellectual property policies. The first set of grants were done under Arti Rai, then Administrator for External Affairs at USTPO. The grants went to a variety on pro-right owner groups, including those associated with Newt Gingrich and the Tea Party, and several supported by firms like Pfizer and Microsoft. Seven of the groups receiving the fy 2009 have in common the fact they received funding from either Microsoft or the Gates Foundation.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

“Ipr In Italy – American Voices Among Italian Elite,”cooperation and how to make them change their mind (cables)

Cable reference id: #09ROME1396

Subject Ipr In Italy – American Voices Among Italian Elite
Origin Embassy Rome (Italy)
Cable time Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:30 UTC
Classification UNCLASSIFIED
Source http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/12/09ROME1396.html
History First published on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:34 UTC
Modified on Thu, 1 Sep 2011 23:24 UTC
Media?Add media item
Comments 0 Comments
Continue Reading