Views of the IP waiver resolving the current crisis of vaccines are divided. Some say it is necessary and the first step to bring about vaccine equity. Others contend that it is a blow to innovation and will not solve the more complex problems of technical know how and production capacity.
Alan Wm Wolff writes about the need to resolve this issue on the IP front with a structured discussion and steps to combat various aspects of the problem. What I found instructive in his piece is the reference to other aspects of WTO negotiations other than the waiver of IP:
The US willingness to engage in talks on a TRIPS waiver should be reciprocated by those who are reluctant to give their consent to trade talks and negotiated results on other matters in the WTO of great importance, such as dealing with climate change, making the planet greener, limiting fisheries subsidies, crafting rules for the digital economy, and agreeing to prohibit the use of export restrictions where purchases are being made by the World Food Program.
Interesting. There is nothing a like a free lunch in economics.
A quid pro quo? What would the contours of the quid pro quo, if any, be?
No comments:
Post a Comment