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
According to a press release issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 6 December 2013, four candidatures for the post of Director General were received before the deadline for nominations (5 PM, 6 December 2013) expired.
The WIPO press release noted that,
The candidates are (in alphabetical order of names of candidates): Mr. Francis Gurry (Australia), Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama (Nigeria), Mr. Jüri Seilenthal (Estonia), and Mr. Alfredo Suescum (Panama).
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.
20TH Session of the Standing Committee on the Law of PatentsStatement by Kenya
Agenda Item No. 8: Patents and Health, 28th January 2014
Thank you Mr. Chairman for giving Kenya the floor.
Kenya supports the statement made by Algeria on behalf of the African Group and the proposal put forward by the Group and the DAG.
EB134: Statement of South Africa on Access to Essential Medicines (in the wake of Pharmagate)
On Thursday, 23 January 2014, Malebona Precious Matsoso (Director General of the South African National Department of Health) delivered the the following intervention at the 134th session of the World Health Organization’s Executive Board under agenda item 9.7 on Access to essential medicines in response to the recent Pharmagate imbroglio.
New leaked Merck missive reveals deep drug, medical device company opposition to South African patent reforms
James K. Glassman. Merck said Glassman’s public relations firm was selected by PhRMA to lead a campaign to keep drug prices high in South Africa. The Health Minister in South Africa referred to the campaign proposal as a genocidal conspiracy of satanic magnitude.
