Title: Compulsory licensing: implications on multinational drug companies

Authors: Vure Prasad; P.S.S. Krishna Babu

Addresses: Intellectual Property Management-IPDO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Innovation Plaza, Survey Nos. 42, 45, 46 and 54 Bachupally, Qutubullapur, R.R. Dist: 500090, A.P., Hyderabad, India ' Intellectual Property Management-IPDO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Innovation Plaza, Survey Nos. 42, 45, 46 and 54 Bachupally, Qutubullapur, R.R. Dist: 500090, A.P., Hyderabad, India

Abstract: This article is a critical analysis of compulsory licensing provisions under the Indian Patent law with recent decisions. Compulsory licenses are basically the abrogation of an IP right - an extra-ordinary legal instrument whereby the government allows itself or a third party (typically the competitor) to have access to produce, and use or sell the IP protected product or process without the consent of the IP owner. The method here is of a descriptive-analytical type. The data has been collected from secondary sources, which include the internet, research publications and the Indian Patents Act itself. India's compulsory licensing provision is now more important than ever since India passed the revised Act. This paper makes an attempt to analyse the potential of compulsory licensing to provide affordable medicines to the common man and thereby improve the quality of life.

Keywords: intellectual property rights; IPR; Indian Patent Act; IPA; multinational drug companies; MNCs; multinational companies; World Intellectual Property Organization; WIPO; World Trade Organization; WTO; compulsory licensing; India; affordable medicines.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIPM.2013.057621

International Journal of Intellectual Property Management, 2013 Vol.6 No.4, pp.247 - 271

Received: 04 Feb 2013
Accepted: 01 Jun 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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