Agreement on IPR (fwd)

JC WANDEMBERG (mailto:juwandem@NMSU.EDU)
Tue, 3 Jun 1997 11:19:49 -0600 

Message-ID:  <Pine.A41.3.95q.970603111931.58612F-100000@hector.NMSU.Edu>
Date:         Tue, 3 Jun 1997 11:19:49 -0600
From: JC WANDEMBERG <mailto:juwandem@NMSU.EDU>
Subject:      Agreement on IPR (fwd)
To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 11:38:43 +0000
From: OILWATCH NETWORK - Secretariat <mailto:oilwatch@uio.satnet.net>
To: ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA NETWORK <mailto:elan@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject: Agreement on IPR


Dear friends:


I am writing to ask for your solidarity.  Your government, the US
Government, is currently putting a great deal of pressure on my
Government, the Ecuadorean Government, to force it to ratify a
Bilateral Agreedment on IPR.  There is the possibility of applying
Law 301 and imposing sanctions on our export products such
as flowers and marine products if the Agreement is not signed.


The Agreement was signed by a former Ecuadorean Ambassador in the
US, but it was never ratified by the Ecuadorean Parliament due to the
lobbying and direct action which had been carried out by the civil society
against the ratification.


The Agreement, which was signed in 1993, is based on the same
principles of the TRIPs: it opens a door to patent life forms.  In
fact, in Ecuador several transnationals are applying for patents on human
genes, even though the Andean Pact Law on Patents forbid any patent on human
genes or human organs.  This is only a precursor of what we are going
to see in the future.


On the other hand, we are working to implement legislation on
Intellectual Collective Rights to protect traditional knowledge
against monopollic appropiation.  These efforts will be lost with the
forceful ratification of this agreement.


In relation to plant varieties,  the agreement does not yield the
possibility of a sui generis system, but of patents and breeders'
rights.


Finally, there is a provision on pipeline, which is against the
Ecuadorean Constitution.


For this reason, we are asking you to direct letters to the US
Ambassador in Ecuador to stop putting pressure on the Ecuadorean
government to ratify this agreement.


If you want to support this campaign, please send a letter to:


Mr. Lesly Alexander
USA Embassador in Ecuador
FAX 593-2-560-660
Quito-Ecuador