India update: Lower house approves patent law amendment; Upper house still to consider

Ls2Today, the lower house of the Indian Parliament (the Lok Sabha, left) approved the bill designed to place India’s patent law in full compliance with TRIPs.  The upper house (the Rajya Sabha) still must approve the bill before it is effective.

The version approved by the lower house includes significant compromises on the original Presidential decree instituted on January 1, including the exclusion of embedded software as patentable subject matter and “inventive step” language designed to prevent evergreening practice in the pharmaceutical arts.

One article on today’s move claims the global drug industry welcomes it, while another claims that MNCs (multi-national corporations) are dismayed.

 


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