ISDS Case Map
intellectual property
Critics voiced doubt yesterday over Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's promise to provide equitable access to life-saving drugs for all people with HIV/Aids in Thailand, saying it was a pipe dream while disputes over patented drugs remain unresolved.
A full-scale political stoush is brewing over intellectual property provisions in the Australia-US free trade agreement following the passage of enabling legislation last week.
Politicians from Australia's opposition party could try to derail the Australian-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) after a Senate select committee claimed the deal could push up drugs prices and give copyright owners in Australia even more protection than they enjoy in the US.
The Australian Senate should delay implementing legislation for the Free Trade Agreement with the US. Countries such as Brazil and Thailand, with large generic pharmaceutical industries, are looking to Australia for leadership in countering this US bilateral push for global uniformly of high pharmaceutical prices through aggressive intellectual property (IP) protection.
Regional trade agreements (RTAs) are an integral part of international trade, accounting for almost half of world trade and expected to grow further in the next few years. These agreements operate alongside global multilateral agreements under the World Trade Organization (WTO), and have both positive and negative effects.
A free trade agreement due to be signed between Morocco and the USA by the end of this year could threaten access to medicines, several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) warned last week.
The Special Rapporteur recommends that States be cautious about enacting “TRIPS plus” legislation without first understanding the impact of such legislation on the protection of human rights, including the right to health. Equally, wealthy countries should not pressure a developing country to implement “TRIPS plus” legislation, unless reliable evidence confirms that such legislation will enhance enjoyment of the right to health in the developing country.
A free trade agreement with the United States would lead to a broader
application of intellectual property rights that could hurt Thais --
from farmers to internet users -- an expert has warned.
Testimony of Eric H. Smith President International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)
