India To Appeal WTO Ruling On Patent Mechanism

India is planning to appeal the World Trade Organization ruling that thecountry is not providing a transparent mechanism to protect drug and agricultural product patents adequately (Marketletter September 15). The appeal had to be filed before September 25, noted Commerce Ministry of Trade official K M Chandresekhar, who would not detail the line that India would take in its arguments, since the legalities are still being worked out.

The WTO will take two or three months to decide the appeal, he said, and if it confirms the earlier decision, India would have to consider its next steps. India now offers only process patents, and while it has until 2005 to begin protecting products, an exception for drugs and agricultural products means that coverage must be provided sooner.