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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