A “Win”, Yes– But for Very Few Winners
CNN Headline: Poor countries win rules extension
This week the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to extend the deadline for least-developed countries to update their intellectual property laws to meet the standards of the TRIPS agreement until 2013. (All member nations of the WTO are signatories to the agreement, but deadlines for compliance were staggered according to level of development. The original deadline for LDCs was January 1, 2006).
This is good news– but only for those countries which have not yet updated their laws, since the WTO decision reportedly states:
Least-developed country Members will ensure that any changes in their laws, regulations and practice made during the additional transitional period do not result in a lesser degree of consistency with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement.
…In other words, no backtracking. Those countries which have enacted stricter regulations will have to enforce them– regardless of the adverse affects this may have on access to medicines, and other related issues.
