Brickbats for compulsory licences

US criticises India and BRIC group for strengthening provisions on life-saving medicines

A rather ridiculous gap

Clothing giant Gap’s trademark infringement notice to an NGO selling products made from recycled waste is a curious case

Obama takes first dip

The US becomes the first to join a global patents pool to make AIDS drugs cheaper but health workers are sceptical of the initiative

US plays dirty on tar sands

The EU appears to have backed off on important climate change policy because of pressure from US-backed Big Oil

G8 and tragedy of Africa

Rich nations are forcing African states to change laws to facilitate private investment in agriculture in a replay of colonial adventurism

Monsanto does it again

The biotech seed giant sues a farmer for planting unbranded commodity seeds bought in the open market for patent infringement

The natco-pfizer test

Natco’s demand for a voluntary licence from Pfizer will establish how well the compulsory licence process works in India

Race to kill kyoto protocol

As Copenhagen nears, Obamas America sees new hope Yes, we can...dump climate multilateralism. In Bangkok, most developed countries joined the …

Memories of Agent Orange

No climate for cleantech

Most of the clean energy innovations are with just six rich countries and hardly any technology is coming to developing nations

Climate inaction

Mark Lynas and the demeaning of science

He’s fuzzy on facts and low on science, but the campaigner gets big media support

A pre-emptive strike against Monsanto

American organic farmers are trying to ensure the biotech giant cannot sue them

Bringing Google to book

Google’s digital library project went too far, creating a monopoly over the heritage of books

The new banana republic

Up for scrutiny

Environment ministry sets up certification scheme for its forests

Disclosure-shy industry

Pharma and biotech firms are lobbying hard to block disclosure of origin of genetic material used in inventions, but they also raise thorny issues

The civil spring

Have an aggressive government and an overreaching judiciary curbed dissent?

Clash of the cyberworlds

In an increasingly digital world, the issue of Internet freedom and governance has become hugely contested. Censorship and denial of access occur …

The Avon lady lifts our biodiversity

Loopholes in the Biological Diversity Act being used to export India’s genetic material

With a pinch of salt

Fast food can be made less salty, finds research. But companies refuse to do so

Trade barred

Countries protect their renewable energy equipment. Exporting nations see it as trade barrier  

Battle for the Internet

As the Internet becomes the public square and the marketplace of our world, it is increasingly becoming a contested terrain. Its potential for …

Universal health scare

The country’s planners are debating how to provide healthcare to all. In a drastic shift from the 65-year-old public health system, the …

Climate of irrationality

Developed and developing countries are divided over regulating super greenhouse gases under Montreal Protocol