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intellectual property


India-UK FTA: Committee of Secretaries meet to iron out tricky parts
As both countries inch closer to signing the agreement, discussions have focused on contentious parts such as intellectual property rights (IPR), rules of origin and bilateral investment treaties (BIT)
Switzerland must defend Gruyère cheese in trade agreements
Switzerland must do more to defend Gruyère cheese and other products that have a protected status in Switzerland, according to the Swiss House of Representatives.
Karnataka, India: Farmers hold a forum on trade, climate and seed issues
The Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movement (ICCFM) held a three-day forum in Bengaluru to discuss ongoing trade negotiations in which India is engaged and the impact of the climate crisis on Indian agriculture, among other issues.
EU trade deals risk affordability of generic medicines for Global South
The disproportionate intellectual property protections the bloc proposes could threaten the affordability of generics that countries like India and Indonesia export to poorer nations.
What future for seeds under the African Free Trade Area?
The African Union is putting the finishing touches to the draft protocol on intellectual property rights to the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area.
In India-EFTA talks, balanced trade and access to services, IPR are key
India and the EFTA agreed in April to resume negotiations on a trade and economic partnership agreement following a push from the European states.
US wants Pakistan to ‘do more’ for intellectual property enforcement
Pakistan has made significant progress in improving intellectual property legislation, but a lot still needs to be done in the area of enforcement, says US report.
Clamour against United Kingdom’s free-trade negotiator
Groups from India and nearly 40 countries express concern about a leaked chapter from the proposed FTA that they say appears to represent ‘a wish list’ of the pharmaceutical industry.
Health CSO statement on Kenya _US STIP
We are part of a think tank that advocates for increased access to essential medicines by ensuring that intellectual property laws and policies do not create unnecessary barriers to access to affordable essential medicines, especially for people living with and affected by HIV and TB.
Australia closer to a free trade pact with EU but minister warns there won’t be a deal ‘for the sake of it’
Negotiators make progress in Canberra but thorny issue of geographical indicators is believed to remain a sticking point.
Australia, EU locked in ‘feta’ trade fight
Australia is locked in a high-stakes food fight with Europe over certain local products using the names Prosecco for wine and feta for cheese.
Canada extends copyright protection another 20 years to meet new trade obligation
Change brings Canada into compliance with commitment made under North American free trade deal.
Indo-US Trade Policy Forum likely to be held in early 2023
The TPF is a premier forum to resolve trade and investment issues between India and the US, focusing on agriculture, investment, innovation (intellectual property rights), services and tariff and non-tariff barriers.
India-UK FTA leaked draft reveals nobody’s gain except big pharma
India - UK FTA provisions favor neither India nor the UK except the pharma industry in a big way. It defeats the firm stand taken by the Indian PM three years ago when he decided to pull out of the RCEP against the corporate interests over people’s lives.
Farmers, seeds & the laws: Importing the chilling effect doctrine
The UPOV-based Plant Variety Protection laws, favoured by developed countries, and often pushed through bilateral or regional trade agreements, regulate farmers’ interactions with seeds in many countries.
India-UK FTA lands in row over patent evergreening
A clause allowing patent evergreening in the India-UK free trade agreement will harm India’s generics industry and the UK’s healthcare service that is dependent on Indian drugs, The Lancet warned, prompting the UK to declare the future of its health service is “not on the table".
MSF responds to UK’s disastrous proposal on intellectual property in UK-India Free Trade Agreement
UK IP demands contain provisions that would drastically harm access to affordable, lifesaving generic medicines from India, upon which millions of people around the world rely.
Imposing double standards: Why EFTA should not demand an UPOV clause in FTA with Thailand
As part of free trade negotiations with Thailand, EFTA will most likely demand clauses that oblige the Asian country to introduce strict plant variety protection regulations that are in line with UPOV 91