[Fsf-friends] Very Important

[Praveen A]

Dear Friends,

Patents are a devious tool to harm developing countries' development.
Not only will patents harm software; but will also lead to rise in
prices of medicines. [Read further for more info]

What you can do ?

   a) Post this on your blog/website too if you have one
   b) Email this to as many people as you know
   c) Email to the Editor of various magazines, newspapers that we
don't want patents
   d) Email to the President of India and any political party in
India who has an email

Why are patents bad ?

   Below are some medicines whose cost are given as follows (In India
in Rupees) [In US in Rupees]
   CIPROFLOXACIN (29 Rupees) [2353 Rupees]
   DICHLOPHENAC  (4 Rupees) [675 Rupees]
   These are just two examples. Wondering why medicines are SO cheap
in India? This is because India had a big pharmaceutical industry.
They can produce drugs at a fraction of the cost at what Merck wants
to sell them for. Infact the drug prices are way lower in India than
in Pakistan next door because
   India happened to develop its own pharmaceutical industry.

Note: Because India had its own patent law which allows only process
patent for food, chemicals and drugs.

   The American Corporations don't like that .They want more children
to die in India. They want more profit; which means more children die
in India. They want to make sure that India doesn't produce
   drugs costing less than the American counterparts. Now this is
done in two ways under GATT. One way is to increase the length of
patents. The other is to change their character from Process Patent
   to Product Patent.

Note: Quoted from  a speech by Noam Chomsky

   The thing that made American prices higher is now put up as an
Ordinance in India. It is being considered in next Session of our
Parliament.

Note:  Half of all U.S. bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. See
the news report from msnbc http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6895896/

So we need to ACT now before it is too late, before we will need to
burn our pocket before even buying a tablet of Disprin or the like.
Please follow the actions as mentioned above to spread this fact among
as many people, so that this Bill is not passed.

Note: Global Campaign against Indian Patents Amendment (GCAIPA) is a
forum to co-ordinate the actions against the Patents amendment bill
globally.  http://gcaipa.org/

Maybe, the legislature will listen… But let us try our best.

Note: All this happens because the rulers think that the common people
are donkeys and considering the fact that the low  literacy rate is
one cause, it is all the more important that we, the previlaged
minority, who enjoys the advatages of education  has a greater
responsibilty.
--

PS: You might be wondering why this important issue is not discussed
in the mass media or in the parliament.

1. Do you know that the ordinance was issued after 3 days of closing the session
2. It was issued hurriedly when the nation was facing the Tsunami
disaster and all the media attenstion was there.
3. People think it is not their problem untill they face it personally.

For more deatils see my bolg http://www.livejournal.com/~pravi and these posts

1. IS Rs. 29 = Rs. 2353 ? http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi/11432.html 
2.  Changing rules of patents http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi/11699.html
3. Patent laws http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi/11927.html and
http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi/12417.html

We didn't consider the recommendations by the committes which we
appointed to study patents and we are even giving more than what they
asked for (loyal than the king) [even WTO did not ask for patenting of
life forms and we are allowing evn that -- patenting of life forms
like ameba, fungus ...]

Countries like Brazil are aware of these issues and they framed the
rule to protect their people. See the news report from BBC - Brazil to
break Aids drug patents.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4059147.stm

Our Government did not think of our people and they are selling the
people of India for some Dollars. [See after this rule comes into
place not only the poor but even the middle class cannot afford the
medicines. The medical treatment is going to be available to only an
elite minority.]

It is already happened with Lukemia patients. Indian companies produce
drugs for treatment of  Lukemia at Rs 99 a capule and 4 per day it
amounts to Rs 12,000 per month. Many cannot afford that and now after
the change in patent rule of 1995 [It increased the duration of
patents from 7 to 20 years] an  MNC called Novartis filed a case in
Chennai high court saying it has patent for its drug Gleevec. The
Chennai high court stopped the production of drugs by Indian companies
and now the only drug available for Lukemia patients is Gleevec of
Novartis. And the cost -- Rs 1,25,000 only !!!!!


We should not sit idle. It is time to act !!!!

_______________________
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