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intellectual property

Old wine in new bottles: Keep TRIPS-plus provisions out of the RCEP FTA!
3-Jul-2019 Make Medicines Affordable
Intellectual property barriers, which would hinder access to affordable medicines, have supposedly been removed from the draft RCEP free-trade agreement (FTA).
India protects drug, agriculture business at RCEP
2-Jul-2019 The Times of India
Three harmful provisions concerning pharmaceuticals and agriculture which were part of the RCEP have been withdrawn.
Thai CSOs’ proposition against IP enforcement in the RCEP negotiation
25-Jun-2019 FTA Watch
FTA Watch would like to urge the Thai negotiation team for the RCEP to have a strong position to reject proposals on Intellectual Property Enforcement chapter.
NAFTA demolition better for PBI
7-Jun-2019 Seed World
USMCA, a modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement, includes several positive changes for the seed industry.
NAFTA bill lets Trudeau cabinet wait and see what US Congress does Social Sharing
29-May-2019 CBC
US Democrats fear higher drug prices, trying to change text of trade deal
Free trade can seriously damage your health
27-May-2019 Red Pepper
These practises open the door to Big Pharma companies and disastrous private health companies.
PepsiCo controversy: Globally, India has always refused to give in on IPR on plant varieties
13-May-2019 The Wire
The struggle for farmers’ rights over their seeds and planting materials is not playing out only in India – it’s a global phenomena.
Is Indonesia’s IPR Framework incompatible with RCEP?
12-May-2019 The Diplomat
On intellectual property rights, there’s a serious gap between domestic Indonesian law and the structures of the proposed RCEP
The African single market takes a step forward as the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement becomes a reality
12-Apr-2019 Hogan Lovels
As a second step, negotiators will focus on rules pertaining to intellectual property rights, competition policy and investment, which they aim to finalise by June 2020.
2019: USTR takes aim at European countries over pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies
4-Apr-2019 KEI
In its latest report on foreign trade barriers, the USTR, prompted by the pharmaceutical industry, takes aim at the pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement policies in the European Union.
PBO report shows that new NAFTA provisions threaten Pharmacare, says Council of Canadians
3-Apr-2019 Council of Canadians
The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) revealed that new intellectual property provisions in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement would cost Canadians as much as $169 million more per year for pharmaceutical drugs
Trump’s NAFTA 2.0 puts big pharma first, America second
1-Apr-2019 NY Magazine
The new version of NAFTA forbids the US Congress from curtailing Big Pharma’s patent monopolies on some of the world’s most expensive drugs.
Investment protection proposals under RCEP threaten India’s pharma industry
15-Mar-2019 The Wire
Free trade agreements like the RCEP will infringe on India’s intellectual property laws. India must stand its ground in the interest of public health.
Democrats cool toward NAFTA replacement, question labor standards
14-Mar-2019 Reuters
Several Democrats said a closed-door meeting between United States Trade Representative failed to ease their concerns about the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s provisions on labor, biologic drugs and some other issues.
RCEP talks: Farmers, civil society bodies warn against obligations on patenting seeds, plant varieties
4-Mar-2019 The Hindu Business Line
Farmer and CSOs stressing that India should not agree to obligations with respect to IP on seed and planting materials at the RCEP negotiations as it hurt the livelihood of poor farmers.
Philippine civil society letter on RCEP & plant variety protection
27-Feb-2019
The undersigned signatories are writing to strongly stress that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations must not place any obligation on the Philippines or any other developing country to join or implement UPOV systems
Malaysian civil society & farmer groups’ memorandum on RCEP & plant variety protection
27-Feb-2019
RCEP negotiations must not include obligation to join or implement UPOV systems and in anyway undermine farmers’ rights
Sign-on letter from India against IPR on seed
25-Feb-2019 Forum against FTAs
A mega free trade agreement, like RCEP that undermines farmers’ seed freedoms in a mega diverse country, with seed diversity and farmers’ knowledge is unacceptable, say over 50 groups and citizens
How drug prices could derail new trade pact to replace NAFTA
22-Feb-2019 USA Today
Democrats in Congress contend that the new pact would force Americans to pay more for prescription drugs, and their argument has dimmed the outlook for one of Trump’s signature causes.
Provision that could raise drug costs emerges as key obstacle to NAFTA approval
8-Feb-2019 The Star
Some Democrats in the US, like Canada’s generic drug industry, warn that the new biologics rule would keep drug prices high by requiring citizens to wait longer before they can get their hands on lower-cost similar drugs known as biosimilars.