E-drug: Are patents a human right?
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Are patents a human right?
The European Union (EU) has a consultation process on the policy of the
Union on the WTO and TRIPS organised by DG Trade of the EU-Commission. The
last meeting took place in Brussels on 18th February 2002, the
participation was largely by industry and industry related organisations.
At this meeting industry representatives claimed before the Commission that
intellectual property rights IPR are a human right. Is this the correct
interpretation of what the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights says on the role of patents?
This is what the Human Right Commission has to say as mentioned in the
article titled "Human Rights Bodies Gear Up on TRIPs" by Peter Prove and
Miloon Kothari in BRIDGES, Year 4, No. 6, July-August 2000. pages 13-14
The UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on
17th August 2000 adopted a resolution on intellectual property rights and
human rights and noted the links between human rights and intellectual
property, but declared that "since the implementation of the TRIPs
Agreement does not adequately reflect the fundamental nature and
indivisibility of all human rights, [...] there are apparent conflicts
between the intellectual property rights regime embodied in the TRIPs
Agreement, on the one hand, and international human rights law, on the
other".
We would appreciate knowing if anybody from e-drug have experience to share
on this issue related to patents and human rights?
Dr Christiane Fischer and Dr Gopal Dabade
BUKO Pharma-Kampagne
August-Bebel Str 62
D-33602 Bielefeld
Germany
Telephone +49 (0)521 60550
e-mail bukopharma@compuserve.com
www.bukopharma.de
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