Currying Favour Amongst The Wto: India Extends Patent Protection

Today's The Economic Times reports that India's patent police provisionally extends its protection today to encompass a hit of products from drugs in addition to chemicals to mobile yell upwards in addition to figurer software, inward trouble alongside commitments to the World Trade Organization nether the TRIPs treaty. Commerce in addition to Industry Minister Kamal Nath said the amendment was made past times presidential decree yesterday. The decree signals a breakthrough inward patent reform, which had been stalled past times concerns raised past times communist allies of the ruling coalition in addition to opposition parties, who wanted adequate safeguards to keep cost stability of life-saving medicines. Said Nath:

"The fearfulness that prices of medicines volition spiral is unfounded. [...] nosotros must realise the fact that 97 per centum of all drugs manufactured inward Republic of Republic of India are off patent in addition to then volition rest unaffected".

Up to straight off Republic of Republic of India has granted patents for processes but non for products. Nath added that he was confident of securing parliament's approving for the patent amendments inward the budget session of parliament inward Feb (under Indian law, the presidential decree has to live on approved past times parliament).

It is predicted that the alter inward India's patent police volition spur domestic drug companies to aspect aggressively at developing novel drug enquiry themselves. By implementing the legal changes, Indian drug companies volition live on eligible to brand generic drugs for booming export markets, where drugs worth billions of dollars are laid upwards to expire off patent inward the adjacent few years, the government minister said.

"Indian manufacture tin select stimulate got of a lion's portion of this provided nosotros are a bona fide fellow member of the international trading community in addition to are non inward a questionable position, opened upwards to the possibility of retaliatory measures in addition to sanctions. By participating inward the international organization of intellectual belongings protection, Republic of Republic of India unlocks for herself vast opportunities inward both exports, equally good equally her potential to larn a global hub inward the expanse of enquiry in addition to development".

Indian inventivity: non but confined to the Chicken Vindaloo

is delighted that Republic of Republic of India is putting its menage inward club in addition to feels certain that its fast-growing, powerful drgus manufacture volition shortly create goodness from the protection accorded to home-grown innovations. Merpel adds that TRIPs compliance volition likewise furnish a boost for local intellectual belongings lawyers, who tin await to alternative upwards a proficient bargain of non-contentious licensing in addition to regulatory operate inward improver to the prospect of a smash inward infringement litigation -- but volition India's judicial organization live on able to grip it?

Examples of Indian inventivity here, here and here