InfoJustice Roundup – June 3, 2019
ClearCorrect: Intellectual Property, 3D Printing, and the Future of Trade
[Matthew Rimmer] Abstract: Building upon our recent publication, 3D Printing and Beyond, this paper considers the relationship between intellectual property and trade in the context of 3D printing. This work contends that 3D printing has not only disrupted the discipline of intellectual property, but it has also provided profound challenges for the regulation of trade and globalisation. Click here for more.
Senate HELP Committee Seeks Comments on Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019
[Mike Palmedo] The leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions have released draft healthcare legislation for comment. The Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 contains five titles, one of which is titled Lowering the Costs of Prescription Drugs. This title contains sections meant to speed the introduction of biosimilars to the the market; to reduce abuses of citizen petitions to block generic entry; to enhance the transparency of IP for biologics through changes to the Purple Book; and to “modernize” the Orange Book. Click here for more.
Canada Introduces USMCA Implementation Bill…Without a General Copyright Term Extension Provision
[Michael Geist] The Canadian government tabled Bill C-100 yesterday, the bill to implement the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement…. The bill also features several provisions related to copyright term but notably does not touch the current general copyright term of life of the author plus an additional 50 years. There are several new terms included in the bill with extensions for anonymous works, performances in sound recordings, sound recordings, and cinematographic works. The bill expressly states that none of the extensions are retroactive which means that the works that are currently in the public domain will remain there even after the new terms are established. Click here for more.Poland Challenges EU Copyright Directive at the Court of Justice
[Mike Palmedo] Poland has challenged the European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market at the EU’s Court of Justice, on the grounds that the snippet tax required by Article 15 amounts to censorship. Click here for more.
How Patent Law Reform Can Improve Affordability and Accessibility of Medicines in South Africa: Four Medicine Case Studies
[C. Tomlinson, C. Waterhouse, Y. Q. Hu, S. Meyer, and H. Moyo] Abstract: South Africa (SA) is in the process of amending its patent laws. Since its 2011 inception, Fix the Patent Laws, a coalition of 40 patient groups, has advocated for reform of SA’s patent laws to improve affordability of medicines in the country… In this article, we explore how reforms proposed in SA’s new intellectual property policy could improve access to medicine through four medicine case studies. Click here for more.
Video of May 20 Webinar on the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0) and Access to Medicines
[Mike Palmedo] The USMCA – the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (also commonly referred to as NAFTA 2.0) – incorporates many of the harmful provisions from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), including patent provisions that were suspended by the remaining Parties following the withdrawal of the US. It goes even further than the TPP in extending the exclusivities for biologics to ten years, an unprecedented TRIPS-plus measure. Beyond the intellectual property chapter, multiple other chapters and provisions of the USMCA also have implications for access to affordable, safe and effective medicines. In this webinar, recorded May 20, Burcu Kilic, Joel Lexchin, and Deborah Gleeson take a close look at the USMCA’s provisions and their potential impact. Click here to view the webinar.
