Panel on the WTO TRIPS Agreement and its Relation to the Public Health and U.S. Intellectual Property

The Intellectual Property (IP) waiver India and South Africa have proposed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily waive certain IP rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics aims to ensure that intellectual property rights do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products, including vaccines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal has gained support from over 100 countries and several international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). However, it has also faced opposition from some high-income countries, particularly those with large pharmaceutical industries, who argue that it could discourage future innovation and investment in medical research. Please join us for a panel discussion of these issues. RSVP at press_office@cfc.uscourts.gov.