E-DRUG: Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization (PAIPO) Petition
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[E-druggers may wonder why a message of this Pan-African IP organisation features on E-drug. This is as strengthening patents beyond the minimum required by TRIPS may negatively affect access to medicines in the future. Also, Least developed countries have no obligations for pharmaceutical patents until 2016. It is important that health professionals alert their trade and law colleagues in African governments about this risk. WB]
dear E-druggers,
Below is the text of an urgent civil society petition to the AU seeking deferral of a vote to establish an IP maximalist Pan-African Intellectual Property Organization.
Not only might the PAIPO eventually act as an IP clearinghouse and grant patents and register trademarks continent-wide, but it might also serve as an IP promotion hub and even engage in trade negotiations according to the draft statute.
Just below is a link to site for signing the petition (sorry it is a little US centric in the information it requests, but clearly activists not from the US should sign on as well).
In addition to signing the petition, colleagues should take the text of the letter to African policy makers, especially AU delegates to derail this ill-advised initiative.
regards
Brook
Professor Brook K. Baker
Health GAP (Global Access Project)
Northeastern U. School of Law
Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy
400 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115 USA
Honorary Research Fellow, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, S. Africa
(w) 617-373-3217
(cell) 617-259-0760
(fax) 617-373-5056
b.baker@neu.edu
Colleagues,
following extensive consultations, we now have the text of the PAIPO petition up and ready for signing. Please proceed to the link below and append your signature:
In addition, circulate the above link extensively amongst your networks so we can collect as many signatures as possible.
The official petition will be up until November 10th 2012 at which point the text and signatures will be delivered to The 5th African Union Ministerial Conference on Science & Technology (AMCOST V) and the African Union.
Thank you for being part of this important exercise.
Dick Kawooya/Ahmed Abdel Latif.
18th October 2012
A new course for The Pan African Intellectual Property Organization is urgently needed