Who owns the rights to COVID vaccines?
Rich countries again fail to reach an agreement on what’s called intellectual property.
Inoculations are the number one weapon against the COVID-19 virus, but not everyone can access them equally.
And for the second time this year, members of the World Trade Organization have failed to find a compromise on vaccination patent waivers.
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South Africa, India and the United States, backed by dozens of countries, are leading calls for the suspension of intellectual property rights on several jabs.
They say it would help increased production worldwide and end the pandemic much quicker.
But drug companies and some European nations are against it, saying the waiver may not have the intended effects in developing nations.
So is there a middle ground?
Presenter: Bernard Smith
Guests:
Brook Baker – Professor of law at Northeastern University.
Azeddine Ibrahimi – Head of Biotechnology Lab at the Rabat Medical School.
Paul Torremans – Professor of intellectual property law at the University of Nottingham.