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TRIPS: TRIPS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Members accepting amendment of the TRIPS Agreement

WTO members on 6 December 2005 approved changes to the WTO’s intellectual property (TRIPS) agreement making permanent a decision on patents and public health originally adopted in 2003. This will now be formally built into the TRIPS Agreement when two thirds of the WTO’s members have accepted the change. They originally set themselves until 1 December 2007 to do this. The deadline was extended to 31 December 2009 under a decision by the General Council on 18 December 2007.

Once two thirds of members have formally accepted it, the amendment will take effect in those members and will replace the 2003 waiver for them. For each of the remaining members: the waiver will continue to apply until that member accepts the amendment and it takes effect.

Updated: 21 April 2008

> Explanation: 6 December 2005 press release
> TRIPS and public health
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Members and dates of acceptance  back to top

United States (17 December 2005)
Switzerland (13 September 2006)
El Salvador (19 September 2006)
Rep. of Korea (24 January 2007)
Norway (5 February 2007)
India (26 March 2007)
Philippines (30 March 2007)
Israel (10 August 2007)
Japan (31 August 2007)
Australia (12 September 2007)
Singapore (28 September 2007)
Hong Kong, China (27 November 2007)
China (28 November 2007)
European Communities (30 November 2007) (See text of Instrument of Acceptance)

Egypt (18 April 2008)