Developing nations to block US, EU move to surpass Trips norms

All attempts made by the US and the EU to put in place regulations exceeding the requirements of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) Agreement for protecting data for registration of pharmaceuticals have to be actively resisted by developing countries, feel experts. In an international conference on intellectual property rights (IPRs) and public health organised by the Ficci, experts said that both the US and the EU are going for provisions beyond the Trips agreement in their bilateral and regional trade agreements. Speaking on the occasion, James Love, co-chair of the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) special group on intellectual property, said that the Trips Agreement did not obligate members to confer exclusive data rights on pharma companies. (ENS)