Category Asia/Pacific

India’s First Compulsory Licence Upheld, But Legal Fights Likely To Continue

New Delhi - India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) today upheld the country’s first compulsory licence on a pharmaceutical product. The much-awaited verdict by Justice (Ms) Prabha Sridevan upholds the compulsory licence issued to Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Ltd, an Indian generic drug manufacturer, which sells a much cheaper version of German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG's kidney and liver cancer drug Nexavar in the market.

Event Explains Partnerships In Natural Products Research Through Thai Experience With Novartis

Alongside the World Intellectual Property Organization meeting on protection of genetic resources last week, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) organised a side event on natural product research.

South Korea Inks Copyright Protection Deal With Vietnam

Manila, Philippines – The Republic of Korea, or South Korea, has signed an agreement with Vietnam for stronger collaboration in the area of copyright protection. This reflects South Korea's continuing and more aggressive campaign to protect its copyrighted works here in southeast Asia.

New Textbook On Copyright Law For Librarians

Copyright for Librarians (CFL), an online open curriculum on copyright law, has launched a new textbook aimed at providing librarians in developing and transition countries with general information concerning copyright law in addition to the aspects of the law that most affect libraries.

Philippines Mulls Suspended Cybercrime Law Restricting Communication

Manila, Philippines – The Philippine Supreme Court has begun to hear and weigh the arguments on the constitutionality of a controversial law listing punishable activities on the internet. Its implementation was suspended last year amid mounting criticism that, among other things, the law curtails freedom of speech and harks the country back to the almost a decade of repressive martial rule in the 1970s.

2013: India Battles For Right To Use Compulsory Licences To Make Medicines Affordable

India has started the New Year on a volatile note. With general elections looming in 2014, there is turbulence and not just in the political world. In India’s pharmaceutical industry, there is sparring over the prickly issue of ‘compulsory licenses’, a mechanism by which a government allows a domestic company to manufacture and sell a generic version of a patented drug without the consent of the patent-holder, who receives compensation.

Development In Indian IP Law: The Copyright (Amendment) Act 2012

India’s Copyright Act, 1957 has been significantly amended. In May 2012, both houses of the Indian Parliament unanimously placed their seal on the Copyright Amendment Bill, 2012, bringing Indian copyright law into compliance with the World Intellectual Property Organization “Internet Treaties”. In this article, attorney Abhai Pandey breaks down the changes.

South Korea Bolsters Copyright Strategy In K-Pop Crazy States

Manila, Philippines - With the global success of the dance single Gangnam Style, the heyday of the Korean popular music or K-Pop, along with the country's other creative content, is proving to be far from over. And it’s providing a good reason for the Republic of Korea to bolster its copyright protection strategy, particularly in countries where its creative content exports are most popular and where copyright infringement is inevitable.