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intellectual property

Greeks fear they will lose their ‘white gold’ with CETA
28-Jul-2017 EurActiv
Farmers in Greece are concerned about the fate of feta cheese in EU trade agreements with third countries after the EU failed to fully protect the iconic product in the CETA free trade deal with Canada.
ASEAN Parliamentarians call for a focus on rights in regional trade talks
24-Jul-2017 Asian Tribune
Officials from ASEAN member states and other countries meeting in India this week for negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) should take steps to ensure that the trade deal safeguards human rights, Southeast Asian lawmakers said today.
Trading health through IPR, patents
17-Jul-2017 Deccan Herald
Trade agreements between countries have a perceivable impact on access to medicines as a result of changes in patent and other national laws in different countries.
Canada blinks in face of US/Pharma pressure
14-Jul-2017 Info Justice
The cool reasoning of the Canadian Supreme Court does not acknowledge or reference “external” pressures or the Eli Lilly v. Canada ISDS case. However, courts do not decide cases in a vacuum. This case seems to have been decided in a pressure cooker.
More trouble for Canada-EU trade deal, as drug changes delay implementation
29-Jun-2017 CBC
Goal of implementing most of CETA this summer slips farther from reach.
Chamber of Commerce calls for stronger IP under NAFTA
15-Jun-2017 World Intellectual Property Preview
The US Chamber of Commerce, a federation representing more than three million businesses, has called for stronger IP provisions in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
NAFTA’S Chapter 19 a potential big issue
15-Jun-2017 Politico
Canada and Mexico should push very hard to preserve Chapter 19 of the original NAFTA agreement, which created a mechanism to resolve disputes over anti-dumping and countervailing duty measures, a former Mexican official said.
MSF response on the India-EFTA free trade agreement negotiations in Liechtenstein this week
30-May-2017 MSF
Through this deal, Swiss pharmaceutical corporations are working to erode India’s ability to produce and supply generic medicines for people across the developing world.
Avoid changing TPP-related laws that damage the health of Malaysians
22-May-2017 CAP
The Consumers’ Association of Penang calls on the Malaysian government not to make changes to the law relating to intellectual property rights to comply with the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
US to ask Argentina to expedite approval for patenting of seeds
22-May-2017 Revista Chacra
The opening of the US market to Argentine beef exports and its continued openness to biodiesel from this country will be made conditional on a demand that Argentina change its legislation to expedite the approval of patents on seeds waiting in the pipeline.
Reject RCEP and reject unjust trade deals
11-May-2017 Trade Justice Pilipinas
Trade Justice Pilipinas expresses its opposition to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement or RCEP
MSF response on RCEP negotiations in the Philippines
8-May-2017 MSF
Negotiators must protect public health safeguards that enable developing countries like India to keep supplying life-saving affordable medicines for millions of people worldwide.
TRIPS flexibilities under threat from investment disputes: a closer look at Canada’s “win” against Eli Lilly
28-Apr-2017 IP Watch
Although Canada won in a unanimous decision, the ruling does not, however, guarantee domestic discretion going forward, contrary to the suggestion of some.
The expanding universe of IP
26-Apr-2017 The Hindu
Granting data exclusivity for clinical trials would undermine access to medicines.
CETA bringing changes to pharma patents in Canada
25-Apr-2017 Canadian Lawyer
A certificate of supplemental protection provides up to two years of additional protection after expiry of a patent.
Treating intellectual property as an investment, and subjecting it to treaty arbitration, can have undesirable impact
19-Apr-2017 Economic Times
Free trade agreements tend to treat intellectual property as an investment made by investor corporations, allowing private investment disputes to be raised against the host country.
Compulsory licensing in Colombia: Leaked documents show aggressive lobbying by Novartis
12-Apr-2017 Public Eye
Confidential documents obtained by Public Eye show that Novartis has threatened Colombia with international investment arbitration under its BIT with Switzerland to avoid the issuance of a compulsory license
Gilead Pharma corp withdraws investment arbitration after Ukraine agrees to settlement of dispute over monopoly rights to market anti-viral drug
5-Apr-2017 IA Reporter
Ukraine has settled a dispute with American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc., following the company’s pursuit of legal remedies in both domestic courts and via investment arbitration.
Pharmaceutical giant threatens to drag Government before corporate tribunal
1-Apr-2017 Public Citizen
Novartis battle against Colombian Government highlights the threats to public health posed by the outrageous investor-state dispute settlement regime and bad “trade” deals.
Proposed trade pact clause on intellectual property could endanger India’s TB programme
29-Mar-2017 Scroll.in
A draft of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement reveals three clauses that could potentially hurt production of important generic drugs