{"id":9542,"date":"2021-11-20T05:40:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-20T05:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/?p=9542"},"modified":"2021-11-20T05:40:32","modified_gmt":"2021-11-20T05:40:32","slug":"ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/","title":{"rendered":"IPR and Covid19: Lessons for Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">We all have seen the\nmassive outbreak of Covid19 in India, about millions of people died and got\ninfected due to Covid19 in both second and first waves. Covid19 bought the\nwhole world to its knees. The pessimistic assessment of the global healthcare\nsystem is primarily due to insufficient and indiscriminate access to drugs,\nCovid19 testing kits, vaccines, and other services. It is worth noting that the\nfight for intellectual property waiver and access to medical technology has\nbeen raging for an extended period, and the Coronavirus has just added fuel to\nthe fire. Hence, in the article, we will discuss the waiver on IPR in respect\nof access to medical benefits for the welfare of the people at large. Scroll\ndown to check the detailed information related to the IPR waiver and\nCovi19.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4714ea8a151\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4714ea8a151\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#IPR_and_Covid19\" title=\"IPR and Covid19\">IPR and Covid19<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#TRIPS_Agreement_IPR_and_Covid19\" title=\"TRIPS Agreement IPR and\nCovid19&nbsp;\">TRIPS Agreement IPR and\nCovid19&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#India_IPR_and_Covid19\" title=\"India, IPR and Covid19\">India, IPR and Covid19<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#Why_there_is_a_need_to_waive_patent_on_vaccines\" title=\"Why there is a need to waive patent\non vaccines?\">Why there is a need to waive patent\non vaccines?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#Wavier_on_vaccines-_is_the_ultimate_solution\" title=\"Wavier on vaccines- is the ultimate\nsolution?\">Wavier on vaccines- is the ultimate\nsolution?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#Health_Emergencies_and_Government_Aid\" title=\"Health Emergencies and Government\nAid\">Health Emergencies and Government\nAid<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/ipr-and-covid19-lessons-for-future\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"IPR_and_Covid19\"><\/span>IPR and Covid19<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Intellectual property rights are intangible rights classified into \u2013 Trademark, Patent, design, and Copyright. Intellectual property rights offer the inventor a monopoly over their ideas for a set period, allowing them to restrict others from exploiting them and negotiate a fee in exchange for permission to use them. However, with the emergence of COVI19, the whole world awakened and decided to waive the patent from vaccines, medicines, software apps, and Covid19 test kits to safeguard the people from Covid infection. The development of vaccines and other medical technology is vital for public health preparedness; therefore, the response to a pandemic is closely related to IP. A <a href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/patent-registration\" class=\"text-primary\"><strong>patent<\/strong><\/a> owner holds sole ownership of his idea, and others are prohibited from undertaking research, manufacturing, or distributing patented products or procedures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TRIPS_Agreement_IPR_and_Covid19\"><\/span>TRIPS Agreement IPR and\nCovid19&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An agreement was signed in WTO on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights in 1994. It was the complete international level agreement on IPR to protect the IPR rights like Trademark and copyright. In the past, <strong>WTO<\/strong><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Trade_Organization\" class=\"text-primary\"><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/sup> members have successfully agreed to waive specific articles of the TRIPS Agreement concerning pharmaceutical products and least-developed countries (LDCs) under the WTO Agreement, allowing members to waive an obligation in exceptional circumstances through consensus-based decision-making. The waiver would suspend countries&#8217; IP commitments, allowing those with manufacturing capacity to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines and sell them to countries without manufacturing capabilities without fear of a WTO legal challenge. The waiver could be granted for a year at first. At the end of the year, it may be Revised and reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"India_IPR_and_Covid19\"><\/span>India, IPR and Covid19<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>India and South Africa\nhave decided to put the landmark proposal to waive patents on COVID Vaccines\nbefore the WTO. Although, many low-income countries supported this proposal.\nThe USA and the European Union were both against the proposal. However, on May\n5, 2021, the United States modified its position and agreed to support the\nproposed waiver, a decision that elicited mixed emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_there_is_a_need_to_waive_patent_on_vaccines\"><\/span>Why there is a need to waive patent\non vaccines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Patents offer vaccine\ndevelopers the sole right to manufacture vaccines that they have invented. This\nalso provides the complete freedom to demand whatever price they want to cover\ntheir R&amp;D costs while also profiting. The objective of requesting a waiver is\nto prevent pioneering vaccine companies from enforcing their patents, allowing\ngeneric manufacturers to manufacture the vaccine without fear of being sued. As\na result, vaccines would be manufactured in underdeveloped nations, boosting\nthe vaccination campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wavier_on_vaccines-_is_the_ultimate_solution\"><\/span>Wavier on vaccines- is the ultimate\nsolution?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who have opposed\nthe patent waiver on the COVID-19 vaccine claim that eliminating or suspending\npatent enforcement would discourage pharmaceutical companies from investing and\ninnovating in vaccine research and development. It&#8217;s also been suggested that\nabandoning patents isn&#8217;t the best way to deal with vaccine shortages. The main\nbarrier is a lack of infrastructure in the least developed countries to\nmanufacture vaccines and other critical medical equipment. Furthermore, waiving\npatents is a pointless strategy when compulsory licensing is already\nallowed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Health_Emergencies_and_Government_Aid\"><\/span>Health Emergencies and Government\nAid<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to the Pandemic in\nmany countries, lockdown had been imposed for a long time to maintain the social\ndistancing. However, especially in the second wave of Pandemic, many countries\nrecorded high fatality rates and high infection rates of COVID19. As far as the\nIPR and Covid19 are concerned, the world has supported the proposal put by\nIndia and South Africa for waiving the patent on Covid19 vaccines. Many\ncountries around the globe praised this proposal. IPR Identifies the efforts of\ncritical stakeholders who take enormous risks to bring innovations to the\nforefront by allowing them to profit from the high costs of R &amp; D with no\nguarantee of success. Conclusively, patent rights inhibit the spread of new\ninventions by limiting output, barring competitors, and boosting prices. This\nis critical to promote innovation and advanced technological development. However,\nin global emergencies, such as the current Pandemic, this cost-benefit approach\nto patents is useless. Our current goal is to speed up the immunization process\nrather than slow it down.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we have discussed in detail about the prevalent issue of IPR and Covid19. The waiver on the vaccine is the need of the hour for the whole world. Although, issues and public health interests must take precedence over IPR. As a result, a fundamental overhaul of the IP framework is urgently needed to ensure that incentives are structured. Drug companies&#8217; profit-seeking interests and global public health aims are well aligned. The COVAX trying to speed vaccine development and production may not be adequate. While nations with manufacturing capabilities can use TRIPS flexibilities such as compulsory licenses, this is not the case for countries without such qualifications, particularly LDCs in Africa and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our Article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/types-of-intellectual-property-rights\/\">What are the Types of Intellectual Property Rights?\n<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all have seen the massive outbreak of Covid19 in India, about millions of people died and got infected due to Covid19 in both second and first waves. Covid19 bought the whole world to its knees. The pessimistic assessment of the global healthcare system is primarily due to insufficient and indiscriminate access to drugs, Covid19 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":9547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[903],"tags":[920],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9542"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9542"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9562,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9542\/revisions\/9562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swaritadvisors.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}