The Hindu : TRIPS issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

TRIPS issue

Sir, — The article, "TRIPS empire strikes back" ( Aug. 31 ) has some factual errors, and makes the critical, unproven, assumption that the agreement will be interpreted in the worst possible way.

The writer, C. Rammanohar Reddy, says the system will not work for two reasons: First, because importing countries will have to establish that they cannot make the medicines themselves. He believes the decision can be contested and this creates uncertainty.

Here he is wrong. The example he gave, Mali, is a least-developed country. The August 30 agreement says least developed countries will automatically be "deemed" to be unable to produce.

Mali and 30 or so other least-developed countries do not have to establish anything. Other countries using the system as importers would have to check that they lack the capacity to make the medicine and inform the WTO. But the decision says explicitly that they can go ahead without WTO approval.

Secondly, he claims that supplying companies would have to introduce distinct changes in the shape, colour and packing of the generic drugs, and that his would make the generics too expensive to supply.

Again, he is wrong. The decision says clearly that only one of these three needs to be done — and this only when it "is feasible and does not have a significant impact on price."

Keith Rockwell,

WTO spokesman

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

News Update

Stories in this Section

The wrong signal

A new regime in Uttar Pradesh

Russia's economic rebound