NEOLIBERALISM AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGIME IN INDIA: A CASE STUDY OF PATENT LAW IN INDIA AND LESSONS LEARNED TOWARD THAILAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/nrru-rdi.2020.64Keywords:
Neoliberalism, Intellectual property, The TRIPs agreement, India’s patent law, Lessons learned toward ThailandAbstract
This research aims to analyze 1) a process of neoliberal ideology affecting India’s intellectual property and its international trade; 2) a notion of India’s patent regime affecting India’s pharmaceutical development; and 3) social forces and social factors regarding to India’s patent law that led to a people’s access to medicines and an exportation of generic drugs. This study employs a qualitative research methodology by collecting data from four sources: primary and secondary sources; informal interview from 7 key-informants; and focus group from Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce with using a content analysis.
The research finds that the neoliberal ideology has been transforming intellectual property to become a tool of global capitalism in transforming a patent protection as part of international trade. The emergence of “TRIPs-plus Agreement” has standardized a patent protection which is far higher that the TRIPs Agreement of the WTO. However, India has succeeded in protecting social interests via the role of Indian government in sustaining an implementation of the 1970 Patent Act. Although the Indian patent law was obliged to amend abiding the WTO requirement in 2000, social protections remain persisted. Moreover, India has had strong civil societies in mobilizing mass for an access to medicines as well as the roles of local private sectors in working with civil societies. By and large, India’s experience can be drawn for lessons learned toward Thailand.
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