WORLD TRADE WT/DS79/2
15September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3734)
Original: English
INDIA -PATENT PROTECTION FOR PHARMACEUTICAL
AND AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
Request fortheEstablishment ofaPanel bytheEC
Thefollowing communication, dated 9September 1997, from thePermanent Delegation of
theEuropean Commission totheChairman oftheDispute Settlement Body iscirculated attherequest
ofthatdelegation.
_______________
Myauthorities have asked metosubmit thefollowing request onbehalf oftheEuropean
Communities andtheirMember States forconsideration atthenextmeeting oftheDispute Settlement
Body.
TheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights contained inAnnex 1C
totheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization (hereafter the"TRIPS Agreement") obliges
allMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization (hereafter the"WTO") togrant patents forthesubject
matter specified inArticle 27oftheTRIPS Agreement. Article 70.8oftheTRIPS Agreement provides
thatwhere aMember makes useofthetransitional provisions contained intheTRIPS Agreement and
doesnotmake patent protection available forpharmaceutical andagricultural chemical inventions as
ofthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement forit,thatMember mustimplement measures
topermit parties tofilepatent applications concerning suchinventions onorafterthatdate(hereafter
referred toasthe"interim filing procedure"). When product patent protection isestablished, these
applications mustbeexamined according tothecriteria forpatentability setforth intheAgreement,
based ontheearliest effective filing dateclaimed fortheapplication. Patents granted onthebasis of
suchapplications mustenjoy thetermandrights provided forunder theTRIPS Agreement. Article 70.9
oftheTRIPS Agreement further requires thatMembers subject totheobligations under Article 70.8
oftheTRIPS Agreement provide exclusive marketing rights tothoseparties thathavefiledanapplication
under theinterim filing procedure, insofar astheproduct covered bytheinvention hasbeengranted
marketing approval intheMember providing protection andanother Member, andapatent hasbeen
granted ontheinvention inanother Member.
Thelegal regime currently inforce inIndia doesnotmake patent protection available for
inventions concerning pharmaceutical andagricultural chemical products asprovided inArticle 27
oftheTRIPS Agreement, nordoesitprovide rulesthatconform toobligations oftheTRIPS Agreement
regarding theacceptance ofapplications andthegrantofexclusive marketing rights. Asaconsequence,
India'slegalregime appears tobeinconsistent withitsobligations under theTRIPS agreement, including
butnotlimited toArticles 27,65and70oftheTRIPS Agreement.
./.WT/DS79/2
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Inacommunication dated 28April 1997(WT/DS79/1), theEuropean Communities andtheir
Member States requested consultations withIndiapursuant toArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules
andProcedures Governing theSettlement ofDisputes (hereafter the"DSU") contained inAnnex 2
oftheWTO Agreement andArticle 64oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction withArticle XXII of
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994. Consultations were heldon14May1997, but
didnotresult inasatisfactory solution ofthedispute.
Accordingly, theEuropean Communities andtheirMember States request theestablishment
ofapanel toexamine thematter inthelightoftherelevant provisions oftheTRIPS Agreement and
tofindthatIndia failstoconform totheobligations contained inArticle 27,65and70oftheTRIPS
Agreement andthereby nullifies orimpairs benefits accruing directly orindirectly totheEuropean
Communities andtheirMember States under theTRIPS Agreement.
TheEuropean Communities andtheirMember States askthatthisrequest beplaced onthe
agenda ofthemeeting oftheDispute Settlement Body scheduled tobeheldon25September 1997,
andthatthepanel beestablished withstandard terms ofreference asprovided forinArticle 7ofthe
DSU.