We are pirates all

Film>> Partners in Crime • Directed by Paromita Vohra • Produced by Magic Lantern Foundation

Kenya's struggle to modernise traditional medicine is far from won

In the last two decades, neglect of traditional medicine has been replaced by renewed focus and a raft of policies and new laws

Clearing the smoke on packaging

WTO rules that Australian laws on tobacco packaging don't violate global obligations to protect intellectual property

Road to COP15 Montreal: Mexican indigenous groups yet to benefit under Nagoya Protocol; here is why

The Convention on Biological Diversity leaves many matters to the interpretation of each country’s laws

Let it flow: COVID-19 pandemic underscores need to share research; but how will it work

The scientific community has rolled out plans to remove hurdles in the shift to open access publishing. Will this ensure equitable access?

Hypocrisy of the west

A legitimate tool to meet any public health crisis, rich countries, particularly the US, have resolutely opposed its deployment by developing …

Only a piglet in Russia’s war on patents

Post-Ukraine, Russia has held back from appropriating intellectual property despite a law to punish unfriendly countries

A dirty US fight to control WIPO

China loses to Singapore in American smear campaign but the US will have to contend with an IP powerhouse

What drives innovation?

The new Intellectual Property Rights policy is based on a tenuous premise that having more IPRs will result in more innovation

Can vaccines become as cheap as generics?

Unlike with drugs, freeing up patents will not make it any easier to manufacture vaccines for COVID-19, says Cipla’s Hamied

High on broth, low on geography

Geographical indication tags are being handed out indiscriminately—with no strategy

New leaked chapter of Asia trade deal shows RCEP will undercut farmers’ control over seeds

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership threatens to increase corporate power in member countries, leaving ordinary people with little rights

Trans Pacific squeeze

The Trans Pacific Partnership is a mega trade deal that closes the doors for India's trade options

IPR course in school? It's silly

Promoting the study of intellectual property rights without focusing on innovation is so misplaced that it's laughable

Politics of the Internet

Regulating the Internet to keep it free of pressures from governments and corporate interests is turning tougher for the UN

The battle for knowledge

What are patents? Why have they become politically contentious and a major source of friction between rich nations and the developing world?

Coronavirus vaccines: Tech transfer is the new mantra

A tech transfer hub for mRNA vaccines is being set up in South Africa, a first for the continent; but will the pharmaceutical companies play ball?

TRIPS waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, meds just got tougher after US support

Biden administration wants text-based negotiations on a waiver limited to vaccines but no one is complaining   

The India effect

The US is targeting India's patent law because it is inspiring other countries to follow suit

Don’t worry, experts say after Pakistan gets GI tag for its own Basmati rice

Basmati joint heritage of the subcontinent; Pakistan’s exports will not dent India's share

Doing very nicely without IPRs

We need to re-imagine the role of the state in creating knowledge without intellectual property rights

Blood on the Internet

Governments are censoring digital content on the ground that it infringes intellectual ­property rights or offends people. Can they be stopped?

‘Compromise’ on TRIPS waiver is a sellout

Tough new conditions emerge in the compromise deal to ease WTO intellectual property barriers to production of COVID-19 medical tools

God’s Invincible Laddoo

Tirupati temple wins its Geographical Indications case on a specious logic; registry order sidesteps fundamental issues

Annoying the US, our way

Despite close cooperation with American enforcement officials, US unhappy with India’s report card