[Ip-health] Economic Times: IPI comes clean on Mashelkar report

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1697068.cms

NEW DELHI: UK-based Intellectual Property Institute (IPI), which is embroil=
ed in a controversy regarding the recently-withdrawn Mashelkar panel report=
 on patent law, has said that some of its studies are funded by MNC industr=
y bodies, but IPI is still independent.


  The institute was responding to media reports about the Mashelkar panel=
=92s use of extracts from a study by the institute, which was alleged to be=
 biased in favour of multinational pharmaceutical companies=92 interests.


  Dr Mashelkar recently withdrew his recommendations as reports about alleg=
ed =91copying from IPI=92s study verbatim=92 snowballed into  a controversy=
.


  =93IPI is not an industrial think-tank as reported, but is an independent=
, not-for-profit research body, addressing all aspects of intellectual prop=
erty law, and particularly its economic and social effects. It has a histor=
y of promoting independent, evidence-based research to assist those making =
policy and judicial judgements in the area of intellectual property law,=94=
 IPI said in a statement quoting its director Dr Paul Leonard.


  IPI, however, admitted that the study, which has been allegedly used by t=
he patent panel, was funded by Interpat =97 a Swiss association of major Eu=
ropean, Japanese and US research-based pharmaceutical companies committed t=
o the improvement of intellectual property laws around the world. But the u=
nderstanding was that the study would be independent. The legal opinion was=
 prepared in the author=92s private capacity, but is endorsed by IPI.


  The same author has prepared another  study on data protection under a si=
milar understanding with Interpat and has submitted to  another Indian expe=
rt committee examining the issue.

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