GWU – CII ‘Legal Education’ program set to make a comeback to India: Will it survive the criticism from the NGO + Cipla lobby? - SPICY IP

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Message from discussion GWU – CII ‘Legal Education’ program set to make a comeback to India: Will it survive the criticism from the NGO + Cipla lobby?
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Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2012 23:27:03 +0000
Subject: =?windows-1252?Q?=5BSPICY_IP=5D_GWU_=96_CII_=91Legal_Education=92_program?=
	=?windows-1252?Q?_set_to_make_a_comeback_to_India=3A_Will_it_survive_the_critic?=
	=?windows-1252?Q?ism_from_the_NGO_=2B_Cipla_lobby=3F?=
From: Prashant Reddy <predd...@gmail.com>
To: spicyip@googlegroups.com
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<div dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"text-align: left;" trbidi=3D"on">
<table cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" class=3D"tr-caption-container" s=
tyle=3D"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style=3D"text-align: center;"><a href=3D"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-=
8hcVB4ubjTA/UJWoB37qKDI/AAAAAAAACJI/EpoapXs9zkE/s1600/devil.png" imageancho=
r=3D"1" style=3D"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin=
-right: auto;"><img border=3D"0" height=3D"200" src=3D"http://1.bp.blogspot=
.com/-8hcVB4ubjTA/UJWoB37qKDI/AAAAAAAACJI/EpoapXs9zkE/s200/devil.png" width=
=3D"200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class=3D"tr-caption" style=3D"text-align: center;">Image from <a hr=
ef=3D"http://controversy.wearscience.com/">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), has <a href=3D"http://www.usibc.co=
m/events/usibc-hosts-8th-annual-india-legal-education-program-george-washin=
gton-university-and-cii">announced on its website</a> that it will be hosti=
ng, in December, 2012 the =918th Annual India Legal Education Program=92, t=
hat is conducted jointly by the George Washington University (GWU) and the =
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The conference has usually been c=
onducted on an annual basis ever since 2003, except for the last year when =
I don=92t think it was held, subject of course to correction.&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
The last edition of the GWU-CII conference in 2010 came under severe attack=
 from a section of NGOs, who were later joined in their opposition to the c=
onference by one of India=92s largest generic manufacturers =96 Cipla. We h=
ad covered that controversy extensively over <a href=3D"http://spicyipindia=
.blogspot.com/2010/06/spicyip-tidbit-us-ngos-go-after-gwu-ip.html">here</a>=
, <a href=3D"http://spicyipindia.blogspot.com/2010/06/clarifying-myths-surr=
ounding-gwu-cii-ip.html">here</a>, <a href=3D"http://spicyipindia.blogspot.=
com/2010/05/spicyip-tidbits-cipla-serves-legal.html">here</a> and <a href=
=3D"http://spicyipindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/gwu-cii-ipr-summit-controversi=
es-galore.html">here</a>. The NGOs and Cipla had a long list of complaints =
against the conference, the main complaint being that GWU was trying to pus=
h through a maximalist, U.S.-Centric IP agenda in India at the behest of Bi=
g Pharma and other American lobbies which sponsored the GWU conference. In =
other words, the allegation against GWU was that it was lobbying under the =
guise of an academic exercise.&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
The letter written by the NGO to the Minister of Commerce is available over=
 <a href=3D"http://keionline.org/node/793">here</a>. The letter contradicts=
 itself at certain instances. For example, at one instance it states =93It =
is evident that the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, the Ministry of La=
w and Justice and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry were not fully info=
rmed of who was funding/co-organising this summit.=94 However, the same let=
ter in the opening paragraph also states =93Even though George Washington U=
niversity claims to organise and co-sponsor with the Confederation of India=
n Industry, industry sponsorship is prominently displayed at the IP summit.=
=94 (A <a href=3D"http://keionline.org/sites/default/files/sponsors6_7th_IP=
_Symposium.pdf">copy of the brochure</a> was annexed to the letter.)&nbsp;<=
/div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
Well if industry sponsorship was disclosed on the brochure, why would the j=
udges and the Govt. not know of the same? Why the allegations of non-transp=
arent lobbying? At any instance, this kind of =93lobbying=94 is much more t=
ransparent than the lobbying conducted by certain Indian NGOs, which make a=
bsolutely no disclosure as to the source of their funding. Even the letters=
 signed by these NGOs do not have any names of a single person =96 just the=
 names of faceless organizations.&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
Dean Lawrence of GWU, replied to those allegations over <a href=3D"http://s=
picyipindia.blogspot.com/2010/06/clarifying-myths-surrounding-gwu-cii-ip.ht=
ml">here</a> and clarified that industry sponsorship does not dictate the a=
genda of conferences conducted by GWU. The Dean=92s defence of the conferen=
ce appears to have been confirmed by C.H.Unni of the Mint, who in my opinio=
n is one of the most credible reporters in the print media. Unni=92s views =
on the conference can be accessed over <a href=3D"http://spicyipindia.blogs=
pot.com/2010/04/gwu-cii-ipr-summit-controversies-galore.html">here</a>.&nbs=
p;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
Is the GWU-CII conference good news for India IP? I don=92t have the answer=
 to that question.&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
In my opinion, as long as there is full disclosure about funding and sponso=
rship, I don=92t think we should try to muzzle any particular viewpoint, no=
 matter how much we disagree with it. Sticking our heads in the sand and re=
fusing to any form of dialogue is hardly the best way to debate Indian IP p=
olicy.&nbsp;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
Also, let=92s give our judges and patent office some credit. They have inde=
pendent minds and are unlikely to be swayed by a supposedly biased conferen=
ce. In the last two years Roche, Sugen, Pfizer have all lost patent lawsuit=
s, oppositions and revocations. India=92s first compulsory licence for a ph=
armaceutical drug was granted by the former Controller General P.H. Kurian,=
 who was an invitee and attendee to the last edition of the conference.&nbs=
p;</div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">
In any case, let us see what happens over the next month. I=92ll try to get=
 hold of the list of speakers and post the same on the blog.</div>
</div>

<br><br>--<br>
Posted By  Prashant Reddy  to  <a href=3D"http://spicyipindia.blogspot.com/=
2012/11/gwu-cii-legal-education-program-set-to.html">SPICY IP</a>  at  11/0=
4/2012 04:57:00 AM 
--f46d042f922afeae5404cd9f9624--
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