The “African Group” in the World Trade Organization (WTO) is pushing for discussions—and potentially renegotiation of international trading rules—on how developing countries do and can acquire technology to build resilience...more
On February 1, the USITC formally announced the opening of its investigation into the merits of expanding the TRIPS Waiver to diagnostics and treatments. The investigation was initially requested by USTR, who had been leading...more
On December 16, the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights of the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a report recommending that the General Council extend the deadline by which the WTO would...more
Overview - In March 2020, the world was upended and faced with unimaginable challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic posed threats that had not been experienced in the United States since the smallpox epidemic over 100 years...more
As we previously reported, some members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including India and South Africa, had called for a waiver of intellectual property enforcement on COVID-19 pandemic-related diagnostic kits,...more
On June 16, 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to a partial waiver of intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 vaccines. The agreement came on the heels of an all-night negotiating session. The agreement...more
As posted Monday, BIO (the Biotechnology Innovation Organization) provided a link to the supposed compromise agreement reached recently to permit WTO member states to waive patent protection for "subject matter required for...more
Earlier today, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), Licensing Executives Society (LES) International, LES USA & Canada, and New York Intellectual Property...more
A Reuters report published last week indicated that the United States, European Union, India, and South Africa had reached an agreement on a waiver with respect to patents for COVID-19 vaccines. The text of the compromise...more
According to a Reuters report published earlier today, the United States, European Union, India, and South Africa have reached an agreement on a waiver with respect to patents for COVID-19 vaccines...more
Earlier this month, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property of the Senate Committee of the Judiciary, wrote to United States Trade Representative Katherine C. Tai to express...more
Last week, United States Trade Representative Katherine C. Tai responded to a series of letters sent by a group of Senators regarding a proposal by India and South Africa to waive certain provisions of the World Trade...more
Pfizer and BioNTech Agree to Vaccine Technology Transfer with South Africa's Biovac Institute - As reported by Reuters* on Wednesday (see "South African firm to help make Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine"), Pfizer and...more
The Biden-Harris administration announced on May 5 its intent to support a waiver on intellectual property protections on COVID-19 vaccines. The scope of any potential waiver is subject to further negotiation at the World...more
On 5 May 2021, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that the Biden Administration would support India and South Africa’s request for a World Trade Organization (WTO) waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights...more
Last month, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) sent separate letters urging the Biden Administration to join the European Union, United Kingdom,...more
In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., 566 U.S. 66 (2012), which was hailed by some as banning patents on methods of medical diagnosis. It...more
Our local pharmaceutical environment is highly regulated.The most important legislative provisions are found in the Medicines Act and the Pharmacy Act....more