Intellectual Property, Development, and Access to Knowledge

Author(s):  
Carolyn Deere Birkbeck

This chapter examines debates on intellectual property (IP) and development in the wider context of issues relating to IP and the public interest. It also considers how calls for greater attention to development in the global IP system relate to campaigns for “access to knowledge” (A2K). After reviewing the longstanding debates on IP and public policy issues as well as the substance of debates on IP, development, and A2K, the article discusses the engagement of developing countries in the international IP system up until the end of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) negotiations. It proceeds with a review of post-TRIPS debates on the Agreement itself, before concluding with an analysis of the continuing challenges of addressing public interest and development concerns in the increasingly complex global IP system.

Author(s):  
Ahan Gadkari ◽  
◽  
Sofia Dash ◽  

The availability of vaccinations against COVID-19 provides hope for containing the epidemic, which has already claimed over 2.84 million lives. However, inoculating millions of individuals worldwide would need large vaccine manufacturing followed by fair distribution. A barrier to vaccine development and dissemination is the developers' intellectual property rights. India and South Africa have jointly sought to the World Trade Organization that certain TRIPS rules of COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, and treatments be waived. This piece argues for such a waiver, highlighting the unique circumstances that exist. It believes that TRIPS's flexibilities are inadequate to cope with the present epidemic, particularly for nations without pharmaceutical manufacturing competence.


LAW REVIEW ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit P Singh ◽  
Shiv Kumar Tripathi

In view of the rapid pace of technological, scientific and medical innovations in India and abroad, the intellectual property rights i.e., copyright, patent and other neighboring rights, have been recognized in Indian and foreign jurisdiction. Moreover, its scope and content have expanded pursuant to statutory amendments over the years. Growing recognisiont, expansion and protection of IPRs needs to harmonised with the public interest. Within this backdrop, copyright law, patent law etc. have made elaborate provisions and endeavours have also been made at international level to strike a balance between protection of individual’s IPRS and social interest. The present article tries to examine the contours of protection of IPRS at national and international levels with special reference to copyright law.


1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
M S Swaminathan

Transparent and implementable methods of recognizing and rewarding the contributions of tribal and rural women and men in the conservation of biodiversity have become exceedingly urgent in the context of the provisions of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the World Trade Agreement. In this paper, M S Swaminathan points out how considerations of equity can be integrated with those of ecology and economics in recognizing and rewarding informal innovations in genetic conservation and enhancement.


2001 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 714-724
Author(s):  
Joe McMahon ◽  
Catherine Seville

This Journal's previous piece on current developments in EC intellectual property noted that this area of law is dominated by the drive towards harmonisation.1 This drive continues, and its success has been such that it can now begin to be seen in an overarching context of globalisation. The idea of a unified global system for the protection of intellectual property now seems at least conceivable, even if not immediately achievable. It is even possible to state that some stages have been achieved on the journey, most notably the TRIPs Agreement. Since adherence to this is a requirement of World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, the arguments in its favour have suddenly become “persuasive”. It represents a tremendous achievement in terms of the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights throughout the world. The World Intellectual Property Organisation's contribution here and elsewhere has been immense.


2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina M. Lybecker ◽  
Elisabeth Fowler

The tension between economic policy and health policy is a longstanding dilemma, but one that was brought to the fore with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement in 1994. The pharmaceutical industry has long argued that intellectual property protection (IPP) is vital for innovation. At the same time, there are those who counter that strong IPP negatively impacts the affordability and availability of essential medicines in developing countries. However, actors on both sides of the debate were in agreement that something needed to be done to address the HIV/AIDS crisis, especially in developing countries. In response to sustained and significant pressure from civil society groups, members of the World Trade Organization agreed to the Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health (the Doha Declaration) in 2001. The Declaration clarified that countries unable to manufacture the needed pharmaceuticals could obtain more affordable generics elsewhere if necessary.


2011 ◽  
pp. 141-151
Author(s):  
Jakkrit Kuanpoth

The chapter deals with ethical aspects of patent law and how the global patent regime helps or hinders the development of a developing country such as Thailand. More specifically, it discusses Article 27.3 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which states that countries may exclude methods of medical treatment, plants and animals (but not micro-organisms) from patent protection. It also provides legal analysis on the issue of whether developing countries can maximize benefits from the TRIPS morality exception (Article 27.2) in dealing with biotechnological patenting.


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