Public Health and Intellectual Property Rights

Abstract

The recognition and enforcement of patents in developing countries has raised considerable controversy, particularly in relation to the implications of patents for access to drugs. Questions have arisen, among other issues, on the role of the public sector in discovering new drugs, the strategic use by the pharmaceutical industry of patents to protect not only new drugs, but also to block or delay competition. The difficulties that some developing countries have faced to use the flexibilities allowed by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement), such as parallel imports and compulsory licenses, have also highlighted the imbalances created by the extension of patent protection to developing countries under the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

La Santé Publique et les Droits de Propriété Intellectuelle La reconnaissance et l'application des brevets dans les pays en développement ont suscité de fortes controverses, notamment en ce qui concerne l'impact des brevets en matière d'accès aux médicaments. Parmi les questions posées, il y a lieu de mentionner le rôle du secteur public dans la découverte de nouveaux médicaments, l'utilisation stratégique des brevets par l'industrie pharmaceutique soucieuse de protéger les nouveaux médicaments, mais aussi d'entraver voire de retarder toute concurrence. Les difficultés rencontrées par plusieurs pays en développement à tirer partie de la flexibilité prévue dans les accords ADPIC, notamment relative aux importations parallèles et à l'obligation de licence, ont mis en évidence les déséquilibres créés par l'extension, selon les règles de l'OMC, de la protection des brevets aux pays en développement. R E S U M E N Salud Pública y Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual El reconocimiento y respeto de las patentes en los países en desarrollo ha sido causa de considerables controversias, especialmente en lo que se refiere a las implicaciones

Salud Pública y Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual El reconocimiento y respeto de las patentes en los países en desarrollo ha sido causa de considerables controversias, especialmente en lo que se refiere a las implicacionesde las patentes que permiten el acceso a los medicamentos. Han surgido cuestionamientos, entre otras cuestiones, sobre el papel que desempeña el sector público en los descubrimientos de nuevas drogas, la utilización estratégica por parte de la industria farmacéutica de las patentes para la protección no sólo de dichos nuevos medicamentos, sino también para impedir o retardar la competencia. Las dificultades que han enfrentado algunos países en desarrollo para valerse de la flexibilidad que permite el acuerdo TRIPS, como por ejemplo las importaciones paralelas y las licencias obligatorias, también han puesto de relieve los desequilibrios que crea la extensión de la protección de las patentes a los países en desarrollo de conformidad con las reglas de la OMC.

Keywords

access to medicines patents pharmaceutical R&D

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