Temporary waiver of intellectual property rights should not apply only to patents
COVID 19 jumps over all the walls and does not know the difference between rich and poor, and this is why solidarity is necessary, even through the temporary waiver of intellectual property rights. When will the EU follow this example? And why it’s important that the waiver doesn’t apply just to patents. This was explained by dr. Maja Bogataj Jančič to Nataša Briška and Aljaž Pengov Bitenc, who invited her to the European Quarter.
In October last year, India and the Republic of South Africa proposed to temporarily waiver of intellectual property rights under TRIPS in order to overcome COVID-19. Developed countries were not in favor of this proposal. In May, however, the US administration surprised and supported the efforts of underdeveloped countries with a statement of a representative of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office Katherine Tai. Dr. Maja Bogataj Jančič sees the US move as reasonable, yet she pointed out that patents alone are not an obstacle in the fight against COVID-19. The EU must now take the right step.
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