29 October 2015 Dear Honourable Minister Davies RE: Request for urgent update on the status of the IP Policy and introduction of a bill to fully incorporate TRIPS safeguards to protect health into the Patents Act 57 of 1978 October 2015 marks the two year anniversary of the close of the public comment period on […]
READ MOREThis statement was originally published on 26 October 2015 at https://www.msf.org.za/msf-publications/south-africa-should-override-patent-on-key-hiv-medicine-after-widespread-stock-out Patients sent home without drugs while pharmaceutical company AbbVie refuses to license patent to generic companies Johannesburg — After six months of persistent supply problems with the key HIV medicine lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), the international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urged the South […]
READ MORE17 September 2015 The Copyright Amendment Bill 2015[1] was recently referred to parliament for review, following its approval by Cabinet. The Bill was drafted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to reform the Copyright Act 98 of 1978[2]. The Copyright Act governs the protection of copyright which – like patents – is a […]
READ MOREOn 18 October, Foreign Affairs featured a profile on the Fix the Patent Laws campaign authored by Fran Quigley. Below is an excerpt from the article: Back in Johannesburg, Mary-Jane Matsolo is wrapping up the training. It has been a whirlwind tour through the TRIPS agreement, South Africa’s problems, and the legal models in India. “Are we […]
READ MOREJohannesburg/New York, August 13, 2015: A submission to the United States Government shows South Africa is facing pressure from the pharmaceutical industry to backtrack on intellectual property (IP) law reform that aims to improve access to medicines in exchange for eligibility for ongoing inclusion in the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The […]
READ MOREThis editorial was originally published in the Business Day on 4 August 2015. The original editorial can be accessed at: http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/2015/08/04/patents-threaten-access-to-vital-medicine ONE of the cornerstones of an effective intellectual property (IP) system is the examination of patent applications. After all, before approving an application, the “invention” in question must meet the legal criteria for what […]
READ MORECopyright Amendment Bill, 2015 On 28 July 2015, Parliament published the Copyright Amendment Bill for public comment. The Bill, which will amend the Copyright Act 98 of 1978, can be found online here. Submissions on the Bill can be emailed to Meshendri Padayachy at MPadayachy@thdti.gov.za until Thursday, 27 August 2015. Following detailed review of the Bill, the Fix the […]
READ MOREThis statement was originally released on 6 July 2015 The Justice and Peace Commission for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) has raised serious concerns about patent laws in South Africa that severely diminish the financial capacity of the health department to purchase new and more effective drugs for the public health care. Says […]
READ MOREIn September 2013, South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) released a Draft National Policy on Intellectual Property for public comment. During the public comment period, the DTI received more than 100 submissions on the IP policy. [1] The submissions received by the DTI – which were leaked online – can be viewed at sourceafrica.net. The submissions […]
READ MOREExpanded coalition calls for urgent approval of National Policy on Intellectual Property JOHANNESBURG, 2nd JUNE 2015: Today, patient groups and other leading health organisations in South Africa have joined the Fix the Patent Laws campaign to push for reform of the country’s current patent laws that severely restrict access to affordable medicines for all people living […]
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