Briefing on Intellectual Property Disputes in HIV/AIDS drugs and African trade policy.

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

Press Advisory

          
What:     Briefing on Intellectual Property Disputes in HIV/AIDS
          drugs and African trade policy.

When:     Wed, April 21, at 9 AM

Where:    1530 P Street, NW, Essential Information


At noon, Wednesday, April 21, 1999,  there will be a
demonstration about African Trade Legislation at this location:

     McPherson Square area 
     (15th Street NW  between I and K Steets)

The organizers of the demonstration are AIDS Activists and
members of the Citizens Trade Campaign.  The demonstration will
be in support of Representative Jesse Jackson's Hope for Africa
Legislation.  One key issue concerns the treatment of disputes
over intellectual property, particularly as they relate to
medicines.

                    
There will be a 9 AM briefing at Essential Information at 1530 P
Street on the intellectual property issues in African trade
policy.  The briefing will feature presentations and questions
and answers on the current disputes between South African and the
United States, including controversies over compulsory licensing
and parallel imports of pharmaceutical.  There will also be a
discussion of the February 5, 1999 Department of State memorandum
detailing the US government's 2 year campaign against Section
15(c) of the South Africa Medicines Act.


Speakers will include:

     James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
     Eric Sawyer, Act Up! New York
     Robert Weissman, Essential Action


FMI: Contact James Love or Robert Weisman at 202.387.8030, or see
     information on the Internet at:


http://www.cptech.org/ip/health/sa


-- 
James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
I can be reached at love@cptech.org, by telephone 202.387.8030,
by fax at 202.234.5176. CPT web page is http://www.cptech.org