Washington, Jan. 9 (PTI): Several organisations campaigning for cheaper drugs for developing nations today demonstrated in front of the Indian embassy here against India's new patent law, alleging that it represented "a surrender" by the country to major pharmaceutical firms.
The amendments "would impact 200 impoverished countries to which India was exporting low-cost medicines", Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance, Paul Zeitz, said in a press release. Besides the Global AIDS Alliance, Washington-based Association for India's Development, Global AIDS Alliance (US), International Commission of Jurists (Punjab) and Insaaf International (India) took part in the protest. The organisations alleged that the new patent law represented "a surrender" by India to major pharmaceutical companies. The protesters said 500 people and organisations have signed a petition to the President and Prime Minister of India, demanding prevention of the implementation of the Ordinance. In the petition, the protesters also urged the Government to lead a coalition of developing countries to "resist WTO pressure" to change their laws which may have a "devastating" effect on people and the environment. In line with its WTO obligations, India on January 1adopted the product patent regime for food, drugs and chemicals and embedded software with adequate safeguards to protect the interests of the common man. The Government introduced the product patent regime by amending the Patent Act by way of an Ordinance on December 26 and notifying rules on December 28. http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40547#compstory ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ -- www.gaybombay.info ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/4F6XtA/_WnJAA/E2hLAA/WfTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. For Parties and events go to: http://calendar.yahoo.com/YYY,04497/srt,0/gaybombaygroup/?v=42&POS= Post:- gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com Subscribe:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digest Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] No Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Individual Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact Us:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives are at http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
