[Ip-health] Canada passes act allowing manufacture of generics: BRIDGES Weekly Trade News (13 May 2004)

[Richard Elliott]

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>BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest - Vol. 8, Number 17  13 May, 2004
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>In Brief
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>CANADA PASSES ACT ALLOWING MANUFACTURE OF GENERICS
>
>On 4 May the Canadian House of Commons unanimously approved an act to
>amend patent laws, allowing Canadian generic pharmaceutical
>manufacturers to obtain licences to supply cheaper versions of patented
>medicines to developing countries lacking manufacturing capacity. This
>leaves only the Senate to approve the Bill before it becomes law, making
>Canada the first country to operationalise a mechanism for relaxing the
>restrictions in the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual
>Property Rights (Article 31) on using compulsory licensing to produce
>generic medicines in one country for export to another (see BRIDGES
>Weekly, 4 September 2003,
>http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/03-09-04/wtoinbrief.htm#1). In their overall
>response to the passage of the bill, civil society groups said
>they were pleased at the reforms and the deletion of a controversial
>section on "right of first refusal" -- giving patent holders the "right"
>to assume contracts already negotiated between generic producers and
>purchasers in the importing country -- from the bill (see BRIDGES
>Weekly, 10 March 2004, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/04-03-10/story5.htm).
>
>However, a joint news release from a number of civil society groups,
>including the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, criticised the Canadian government
>for "a limited list of medicines eligible for export, vague conditions
>on countries importing medicines from generic suppliers and provisions
>that give brand-name pharmaceutical companies privileges beyond anything
>negotiated in the WTO". M=E9decins Sans Frontiers also released a
>statement on 29 April saying "Canada failed the international community"
>as eight months of intensely debated negotiations provided "nothing more
>than a bill that pays lip service to the poor".
>
>To access Bill C-9, visit
>http://www.parl.gc.ca/PDF/37/3/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-
>9_2.PDF
>
>For an analysis by the Canadian HIV/ AIDS Legal Network visit
>http://www.aidslaw.ca
>
>To access the MSF statement visit http://www.msf.ca/
>
>"Bill ignores plight of diabetics," TORONTO STAR, 27 April 2004; "Canada
>proceeds with Bill C-9 on cheaper medicine exports: NGOs say initiative
>is important, and urge other countries to avoid the flaws in the
>Canadian model," AIDSLAW JOINT NEWS RELEASE, 28 April 2004; "Canadian
>House of Commons unanimously approves bill to allow manufacture of
>generic AIDS, other drugs for Africa," MEDICAL NEWS TODAY, 6 May 2004;
>"Drug Bill lets big pharma call the shots," CANADA.COM, 4 May 2004.

Richard Elliott
Director, Legal Research & Policy / Directeur, politiques et recherche
juridique
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network / R=E9seau juridique canadien VIH/sida
890 Yonge Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Canada M4W 3P4
Tel : +1 (416) 595-1666                 Fax +1 (416) 595-0094
E-mail: relliott@aidslaw.ca     Web: www.aidslaw.ca

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is a partner organisation of the
AIDS Law Project of South Africa, and a non-governmental organization in
Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations. //
Le R=E9seau juridique canadien VIH/sida est un organisme partenaire  du AID=
S
Law Project
de l'Afrique du Sud et ONG dot=E9 de statut consultatif sp=E9cial aupr=E8s =
du
Conseil =E9conomique
et social des Nations Unies.
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