epilogue

Most of Europe prides itself on issues relating to human rights and dignity. In a similar vein, their governments are rigid and totally insensitive when it comes to intellectual property. Well, it is perfectly fine if the governments there want to put their own economies into quagmires of gridlock; but, should they be allowed to wreak havoc on international trade that doesn’t concern their lands?

EU region countries have some important airports and ports that act as hubs in international trade. And that is where the trouble starts. There have been many instances where goods in transit to other countries have been seized because they don’t adhere to their Intellectual Property regime. On more than 20 occasions since late last year, border inspectors in the Netherlands and Germany have held up Indian medicines used to treat AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, heart conditions and other ailments, saying they violated patent laws in the EU, even though the drugs weren’t intended for sale there, according to EU and Dutch customs officials and to lawyers for Indian pharmaceutical companies.

But that is not all, there is a very visible corporate hand at play here. The DuPonts, Merks and Sanofi-hyphens have had a good role in arm-twisting Indian Pharmaceutical Companies. The Wall Street Journal has gone to the extent of putting the evidence online with a great story about the mechanics of it all.

What is the GoI doing? Right now, a complaint is being prepared to be presented to the WTO. After India files its complaint, the WTO could, after a nine-month investigation, dismiss the case, or rule that India has the right to impose retaliatory tariffs on the import of goods from the EU.

Frederick Abbott, an international trade legal expert at the Florida State University says that the EU argument that goods in transit must comply with local regulatory requirements is shaky. Many trade experts believe that India has good chances of winning.

I hope and pray that EU relaxes its super-holistic view and allows trade to continue. If India ends up imposing retaliatory tariffs, there will be more than collateral damage. People people in poorer countries will have no option but to succumb to a death that could have been easily avoided.

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