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For African Cotton Farmers, More Crops Equal Less Pay

François Tani -- a cotton grower in Koumbia, western Burkina Faso -- has cleared extra land this year for cultivation, bringing the total number of hectares he is farming to 28. But, he's under no illusion that a larger harvest will bring him more money. The price keeps falling for cotton farmers, largely due to the United States, which drives down prices through the subsidies it provides to its 25,000 cotton farmers. (Brahima Ouedraogo, IPS, 15 August 2006)

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=34350

(Added: Thu Aug 24 2006   Hits: 231)

Corporate conquest, global geopolitics: Intellectual property rights and bilateral investment treaties

This article examines how bilateral investment treaties and free trade agreements which contain specific investment provisions reflect geopolitical concerns and redefine rights and privileges for transnational corporations, including with respect to commercial control over biodiversity through intellectual property rights. (Aziz Choudry, Seedling, January 2005)

http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=1464

(Added: Wed Nov 15 2006   Hits: 235)

Global Trade Watch (GTW)

Global Trade Watch (GTW) promotes democracy by challenging corporate globalization, arguing that the current globalization model is neither a random inevitability nor "free trade." Our work seeks to make the measurable outcomes of this model accessible to the public, press, and policy-makers, while emphasizing that if the results are not acceptable, then the model can and must be changed or replaced. GTW works on an array of globalization issues, including health and safety, environmental protection, economic justice, and democratic, accountable governance.

http://www.citizen.org/trade/

(Added: Thu Sep 11 2003   Modified: Tue Aug 15 2006   Hits: 406)

Scheme to 'share environmentally-friendly patents'

Large corporations have joined forces in an 'open innovation' project to allow public access to patents with environmental benefits. (19/1/08, Scidevnet)

http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=4187&language=1

(Added: Tue Jan 22 2008   Hits: 49)

South American Ministers Vow to Protect Access to Medicines

The Ministers of Health of ten South American countries have issued a joint declaration on intellectual property committing themselves to avoid "TRIPS plus" provisions-clauses that are stricter than the "Trade-Related Intellectual Property" measures stipulated by the World Trade Organization (WTO)-in bilateral and regional trade agreements. Unfortunately, several of the countries that signed on have already acceded to these measures in Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the United States. Still, the declaration represents an important move to establish a united position in the face of U.S. and other developed country pressures to provide extended patent exclusivity to transnational pharmaceutical companies. Such resistance is necessary for the health of poor people. (Martin Khor, International Relations Centre, 15 June 2006)

http://americas.irc-online.org/am/3320

(Added: Thu Jun 22 2006   Modified: Tue Aug 15 2006   Hits: 170)

The Impact of Free Trade Agreements on Intellectual Property Standards in a Post-TRIPS World

This discussion paper seeks to determine the impact that free trade agreements are having both internationally and domestically on intellectual property regimes, and the discontinuities and trends that this relation is provoking in developed and underdeveloped countries that are net-importers of products related to IPR. It asserts that currently it is actually unlikely to be able to assess the economic impact that this higher intellectual property standard is triggering, but argues that FTAs have and will continue to eroded both the sovereignty of countries that are net-importers of goods related to IPR, as well as, could eventually impact several areas that are relevant for the common good of these nation-states, such as public health, education, indigenous culture, among others. (Rafael Pastor, Bilaterals.org, 2 April 2006)

http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=4311

(Added: Wed Jun 07 2006   Modified: Tue Aug 15 2006   Hits: 169)