WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding Patent Protection in Pakistan for Pharmaceuticals and Agricultural Chemicals

Resumo

Pursuant to section 127(b)(1) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 3537(b)(1)), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that the United States has requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), to examine Pakistan's failure to make patent protection available for inventions as specified in Article 27 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), or provide systems that conform to obligations of the TRIPS Agreement regarding the acceptance of applications and the grant of exclusive marketing rights. More specifically, the United States has requested the establishment of a panel to determine whether Pakistan's legal regime is inconsistent with the obligations of the TRIPS Agreement, including but not necessarily limited to Articles 27, 65 and 70. USTR also invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in the dispute.