Venezuela to Amend Patent Laws and Focus on Pharmaceutical Patents

In a recent statement, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has questioned the legitimacy of patents as intellectual property, commenting that "[a] song is intellectual property, but an invention or a scientific discovery should be knowledge for the world, especially [in] medicine". Chavez's concerns prompted him to authorize his Minister of Trade, Eduardo Samán, to "make some changes" to the county's patent system. According to Samán, the government sees patents as a "barrier to production", which cannot be allowed to become "barriers to the access of medicines". Accordingly, in an attempt to prevent transnational pharmaceutical companies from "impos[ing] their rights on the Venezuelan people", the government plans to "revise all the doctrines and laws related to patents", thereby allowing domestic drug makers to produce medicines under a license from the government. Samán has stated that these revisions should be compatible with treaties the country has signed. Venezuela being a WTO member and a signatory to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, other signatory countries will watch subsequent events with interest. For commentary, see: http://tinyurl.com/mp9qn5 Summary by: Michael Migus