[Ip-health] Financial Times: WTO EXTENDS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EXEMPTION DEADLINE FOR POOREST COUNTRIES

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

<SNIP>

Trade diplomats said talks would continue this week on how to amend WTO
rules to make permanent a waiver agreed in 2003 giving poor countries
the right to import generic copies of patented drugs.

The arguments centre on demands by African countries, backed by health
campaigners, for a less bureaucratic system, and whether to make legally
binding a pledge by richer nations in 2003 not to take advantage of the
waiver

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WTO EXTENDS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EXEMPTION DEADLINE FOR POOREST COUNTRIES
By Frances Williams
Published: November 30 2005 02:00 | Last updated: November 30 2005 02:00

The World Trade Organisation yesterday agreed to extend the deadline for
the world's poorest countries to comply with intellectual property rules
on patents, trademarks and copyrights, *writes Frances Williams in Geneva*

But WTO members again failed to reach a final deal on poor countries'
access to cheap generic medicines, another key element of the proposed
"development package" ministers had hoped to approve at their meeting in
Hong Kong in two weeks' time.

Yesterday's accord means that least developed countries, which had faced
a deadline of next January, will not be obliged to provide protection
for intellectual property until July 2013.

In 2002 the same countries were given an extra 10 years until 2016 to
protect pharmaceutical patents, but the US this time insisted on a
shorter extension.

Trade diplomats said talks would continue this week on how to amend WTO
rules to make permanent a waiver agreed in 2003 giving poor countries
the right to import generic copies of patented drugs.

The arguments centre on demands by African countries, backed by health
campaigners, for a less bureaucratic system, and whether to make legally
binding a pledge by richer nations in 2003 not to take advantage of the
waiver.