Original news and analysis on international IP policy
KAMPALA - In the western terrains of Uganda, in a refugee camp, Dr. Moses Kizza Musaazi invented and is running a simple but ingenious scheme. Making environmentally friendly sanitary pads out of papyrus reeds. The pads, MakaPads sanitary pads, are the only trademarked biodegradable sanitary pads made in Africa. Dr. Musaazi developed the idea and technique while looking for a way to help school-going girls.
The World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization are jointly offering a course this week on all aspects of intellectual property to a group of officials from developing countries and countries in transition, the WTO has said.
In a final report before the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) today, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food called for a redesigned world food system to ensure the human right to adequate food and freedom from hunger. This includes some changes to the way intellectual property rights apply to food and agriculture.
Last January, Egypt and Tunisia enacted new constitutions which provide for the protection of intellectual property rights, at the constitutional level, for the first time in the history of both countries. In addition, they include clauses which give priority to building a knowledge economy, Ahmed Abdel-Latif writes.
The South Centre, the Geneva-based intergovernmental organisation of developing countries, yesterday issued a statement calling on World Trade Organization members to oppose United States pressure against developing countries, and India in particular, over their intellectual property laws.
An article published in the March 2014 issue of the World Health Organisation Bulletin discusses the evolving issue of access to medicines in Africa.
World Trade Organization members at the WTO intellectual property committee this week held fast to positions on longstanding issues, but engaged in discussions on issues such as innovation in relation to universities, and so-called “non-violation complaints” against countries that may cause harm to another country but don’t violate a WTO rule. Also discussed was the ongoing dispute over plain packaging requirements for tobacco products.
Intellectual property has a strong effect on the practice of science, leading to a shift in research attention for the benefit of the rich, while impeding access to essential goods for the disadvantaged, according to a recent book.
Mike Palmedo at Infojustice.org writes: "The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is currently investigating “Indian industrial policies that discriminate against U.S. imports… and the effect those barriers have on the U.S. economy and U.S. jobs.” The investigation was requested by Sen. Hatch, Sen. Baucus, Rep. Camp, and Rep. Levin, and the final report is due to be released in November. Last week it held a series of hearings, where it heard from U.S. business, Indian business, and civil society representatives."
Nazeem Mohamed is chief executive officer of Kampala Pharmaceutical Industries (KPI), a Ugandan generic manufacturer. Local manufacture of medicines is described by many, including the World Health Organization, as one of the tools that will increase access to medicines. Mohamed is former vice-president of strategic product development at Novo Nordisk, based in Belgium. He also worked for several leading multinational companies such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline before his appointment as CEO of KPI.
With Intellectual Property Watch, Mohamed discussed KPI, the challenges of local drug production, the burden of non-communicable diseases, the issue of substandard medicines, rules engineered in the West which can hinder affordability and access in a least-developed country, unfair competition, and unmet skills building needs.
Over the last couple of years, news of pharmaceutical patents and India’s attempts to protect and manage its market has caught the attention of intellectual property observers everywhere and the pharmaceutical industry in particular.
A recent paper issued by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) compares existing exhaustion policies and makes recommendations for countries in the process of adopting their own regimes in this area. These have the potential to contribute to economic and social development, innovation and the protection of user rights globally, it said.