Day February 6, 2023

A Right to Research in Africa

[Sean Flynn] The Right to Research in International Copyright Project hosted a week of conferences in South Africa, January 23-27, 2023. The week of public and private meetings in Pretoria and Cape Town featured discussions of how African researchers are using modern digital technologies to address a range of pressing research questions that require use of research exceptions in copyright law. Academics, practicing lawyers and government officials from several African countries provided the legal and policy context for the researchers’ work, illuminating both the flexibility in many African laws that permit research uses, as well as  where changes in domestic and international law could serve the public interest. 

USITC Launches Investigation on Covid-19 Diagnostics and Therapeutics, and Flexibilities Under the TRIPS Agreement

[Mike Palmedo] The U.S. International Trade Commission has launched an investigation (USITC) "to inform consideration of whether to extend flexibilities under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) to COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics." The investigation was requested by USTR. The announcement includes a request for comments from "foreign governments, non-governmental health advocates, and diagnostic and therapeutic manufacturers." There will be an open public hearing on March 29, and requests to testify are due by March 15. The deadline for written comments is May 5.