An Indian drug shipment bound for Venezuela seized by customs at Dutch port on charges of counterfeiting and patents infringement. A trade promotion agency in India said the drugs that were meant for Latin America in this case are perfectly legal, reports media.
A new battleground seems to have opened up over shipments of India's drug exporters meant for Latin America that are being seized in transit by European Union countries.
A patents lawyer points to problematic definitions of counterfeit drugs that could lead to misinterpretation of intellectual property right violations. Such instances are increasing, as countries and businesses start fighting over intellectual property rights and use local laws and international guidelines to their advantage.
According to the Pharmaceuticals Export promotion Council, said Chandigarh-based Ind-Swift Laboratories Ltd. and several other Mumbai-based bulk drug makers have had their shipments seized at EU ports in the last one-month alone.
Vice Chairman of Ind-Swift, N.R. Munjal, reportedly said that this would force exporters to look at alternative routes to send the medicines, which is likely to impact the cost competitiveness of Indian generic drugs.
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