[Ip-health] EU-ASEAN PROPOSALS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TOO SWEEPING, SAY CONSUMERS

[Kar K.]

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EU-ASEAN PROPOSALS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TOO SWEEPING, SAY CONSUMERS By:
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL Published: 22/02/2009 at 12:00 AMBangkok Post
<http://www.bangkokpost.com/advance-search/?papers_sec_id=1>

The proposed EU-Asean free trade policy on intellectual property rights
protection is too sweeping, says a consumer group.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should reject it, says
Jiraporn Limpananont, head of the Foundation for Consumers.

Thailand would get less say on agriculture, biodiversity and public health
access.

The EU-Asean agreement, which is in the process of negotiation, demands
extension of intellectual property rights protection including that for
plants and medicines.

It also goes beyond US trade policy, and the agreement on Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights under the World Trade Organisation
(Trips), Ms Jiraporn said.

Civic groups could stage a protest against the trade proposal during the
14th Asean summit this week.

Ms Jiraporn, a former academic at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of
pharmaceutical sciences, said Article 9 regarding patents demands that
Asean, as a trade party, commit to IP protection which is not in line with
Trips.

The Asean community would also be required to supplement protection
certificates, which extend rights protection for various EU patented
products, including medicines.

In addition, the proposal would prevent the marketing of generic versions of
medicines that are not even protected by patents, as well as those produced
or imported under compulsory licensing (CL).

The IP chapter tabled by the EU for talks with Asean would increase
standards of intellectual property rights protection, duration of exclusive
rights and marketing regulation rules favouring monopolies, and limit public
access to medicines, she said.

Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, FTA Watch member, said Article 11, which enforces
patent protection on plant varieties based on the International Convention
for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, also goes beyond Trips
requirements.

Such additional enforcement on the period of plant protection would hurt
farmers in Asean communities, but enable multinational agriculture
corporations to monopolise trade in agriculture, she said.


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Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul
089-500-3217