[Fsf-friends] India issues decree on patent law reform - Kamal Nath

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

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India issues decree on patent law reform - Kamal Nath
By Surojit Gupta

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government issued a presidential decree on Sunday
to bring its patent laws into compliance with commitments under the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath told
Reuters.

Although details of the decree were not available, it signals a breakthrough
in patent reform, which had been stalled by political concerns that reforms
would result in higher drug prices.

The ruling Congress-led coalition has been under pressure from its powerful
communist allies, who want adequate safeguards in the amended patent laws to
ensure that prices of medicines would remain stable.

India's communist parties and other political parties fear that firms
holding product patents for life-saving drugs will increase prices once the
new laws come into force.

The government had been scheduled to introduce legislation on changing
patent laws in the just-concluded winter session of parliament but could not
do so due to differences with its communist allies.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nath, a businessman turned politician, did
not elaborate but told Reuters that he would hold a news conference on
Monday to announce the details.

India currently has patents for processes but not for products. It must
implement them by Jan. 1, 2005, under WTO commitments.

The change in India's patent laws is aimed at spurring innovative drug
companies to switch away from making copycat generic drugs. New options
include making generic drugs for booming export markets, contract research
and manufacturing, and new drug research.