This symposium explores the legal and political debate over access to essential medicines during the coronavirus public health crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n This symposium on The TRIPS Waiver: Intellectual Property , Access to Essential Medicines, and the Coronavirus is an in-person research workshop.\u00a0 Registration is only required for physical attendees of the event in Brisbane.<\/em><\/p>\n Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n This research workshop focuses upon the geopolitical debate over access to essential medicines during the coronavirus public health crisis. This event brings together researchers, experts and scholars working in the field of access to essential medicines \u2013 ranging through the disciplines of intellectual property, public health law, human rights, international law, and trade law.<\/p>\n There has been a remarkable effort to engage in research and development of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics in response to the coronavirus public health crisis. Yet, there has been global concern over \u2018vaccine nationalism\u2019, \u2018vaccine inequity\u2019, \u2018vaccine hoarding\u2019, and \u2018vaccine apartheid\u2019 during the public health crisis. Civil society organisations \u2013 such as the People\u2019s Vaccine Alliance Oxfam, MSF, Human Rights Watch, and Universities Allied for Essential Medicines \u2013 and the labor movement of unions have lobbied for a People\u2019s Vaccine. As a result of a concern about the devastating impact of COVID-19, South Africa and India have put forward a proposal for a TRIPS Waiver in respect of intellectual property and technologies, such as vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. Over a hundred countries have thus far supported the proposal for a TRIPS Waiver.<\/p>\n After taking an \u2018America First\u2019 approach under the Trump Administration, the United States Government under the Biden Administration has revised the national position and supported a TRIPS Waiver for Vaccines. After some deliberation, the governments of New Zealand and Australia have supported this option. Key European nations – such as Germany – have resisted the adoption of a TRIPS Waiver. The European Union has put forward a counter-proposal to the TRIPS Waiver – focusing on intellectual property flexibilities. A number of other countries such as the United Kingdom have been reluctant to support a TRIPS Waiver. There also remain a few nations – like Canada – which have been uncommitted to a position in the geopolitical debate over the TRIPS Waiver. Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology developers, and medical diagnostics firms have lobbying against a TRIPS Waiver.<\/p>\n This event will also explore the key disciplines of intellectual property \u2013 including patent law, trade mark law, copyright law, and related rights, such as confidential information, trade secrets, and database protection. There will be a strong focus upon public health law, policy and institutions. There will also be a larger consideration of international law \u2013 particularly trade-related agreements, such as the TRIPS Agreement, the Doha Declaration, the WTO General Council Decision, and the TRIPS Waiver. There will also be a consideration of the role of international institutions during the coronavirus crisis \u2013 such as UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.<\/p>\n This research workshop will also consider the regulation of data and information in respect of coronavirus. There will be a discussion of vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 misinformation, and COVID-19 fraud. In its consideration of the \u2018info-demic\u2019, the event will draw upon the disciplines of health law, consumer protection, media regulation, and criminal law.<\/p>\n This event is hosted by the\u00a0Australian Centre for Health Law Research<\/a>\u00a0(ACHLR) – based at the\u00a0QUT Faculty of Business and Law<\/a>. This event is part of the Centre\u2019s research activity in respect of\u00a0the legal, ethical, and public policy dimensions of the coronavirus<\/a>.<\/p>\n Format<\/strong><\/p>\n This event will be subject to QUT’s management plans and rules in light of COVID-19. There will be a limited physical audience for this event – capped at 30 people. Registrations are only required for the physical attendance of the event.<\/p>\n This event is a hybrid event \u2013 with live physical presentations by Queensland-based speakers, supplemented by pre-recorded presentations by interstate and international speakers.<\/p>\n The physical presentations will be recorded by the AV Unit of QUT, and made available afterwards. A few interstate and international speakers will be delivering their talks by video.<\/p>\n There will be light catering at the physical event.<\/p>\n REGISTER HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n QUT Welcome to Country<\/strong><\/p>\n https:\/\/youtu.be\/celIi1oV1Ec<\/a><\/p>\n Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n Session 1 \u2013 Pandemics and Public Health Emergencies (9:00 am \u2013 10:30 am)<\/strong><\/p>\n 9:00 am \u2013 9:20 am<\/p>\n Unmasked: The Politics of Pandemics<\/p>\n Bill Bowtell<\/a>\u00a0(by video)<\/p>\n 9:20 am \u2013 9:40 am<\/p>\n Themes and Motifs from a Pandemic: The Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness<\/p>\n Associate Professor Wendy Bonython<\/a>\u00a0(Bond University)<\/p>\n 9:40 am \u2013 10:00 am<\/p>\n The Two Track Approach to Revise the International Health Regulations and the Proposed Pandemic Treaty (or Can We Have Our Cake and Eat it Too?)<\/p>\n Professor Sara Davies (<\/a>Griffith University)<\/p>\n Morning Tea Break (10:30 am – 11:00 am)<\/p>\n Session 2 \u2013 COVID-19, Patent Law, and the TRIPS Waiver (11 am \u2013 12:30 pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n 11:00 am \u2013 11:20 am<\/p>\n The Proposal of India and South Africa for a TRIPS Waiver<\/p>\n Dr Muhammad Zaheer Abbas<\/a>\u00a0(QUT)<\/p>\n 11:20 am \u2013 11:40 am<\/p>\n A TRIPS Waiver for Vaccines: President Joe Biden, Intellectual Property, Access to Essential Medicines, and the Coronavirus COVID-19<\/p>\n Professor Matthew Rimmer<\/a>\u00a0(QUT)<\/p>\n 11:40 pm \u2013 12:00 pm<\/p>\n Climate Change Technology and the WTO: Will a TRIPS Waiver Support Technology Transfer?<\/p>\n Associate Professor Felicity Deane<\/a>\u00a0(QUT)<\/p>\n Lunch Break (12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)<\/p>\n Session 3 \u2013 Comparative Debates about the TRIPS Waiver (12:30 pm \u2013 1:30 pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n 12:30 pm \u2013 12:50 pm<\/p>\n The EU Counter-Proposal to the TRIPS Waiver<\/p>\n Dr Aisling McMahon\u00a0<\/a>(Maynooth University, Ireland) (by video)<\/p>\n 12:50 pm \u2013 1:10 pm<\/p>\n The UAEM Campaign to Free the Vaccine<\/p>\n Dr Jennifer Nguyen\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Declan Sakuls<\/a>\u00a0(UAEM North America) (by video)<\/p>\n 1:10 pm \u2013 1:30 pm<\/p>\n The New Zealand Debate about the TRIPS Waiver<\/p>\n Edward Miller\u00a0<\/a>(by video)<\/p>\n Session 4 COVID-19, Consumer Protection, and Trademark Law (1:30 pm \u2013 3:00 pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n 1:30 pm \u2013 1:50 pm<\/p>\n Vaccine Hesitancy and COVID-19 Misinformation<\/p>\n Samuel Roach\u00a0<\/a>(QUT)<\/p>\n 1:50 pm \u2013 2:10 pm<\/p>\n COVID Snails in Policy Bottles: Trust, Regulation and Therapeutics<\/p>\n Associate Professor Bruce Arnold<\/a>\u00a0(University of Canberra)<\/p>\n 2:10 pm \u2013 2:30 pm<\/p>\n COVID-19 Fraud<\/p>\n Associate Professor Cassandra Cross<\/a>\u00a0(QUT)<\/p>\n Afternoon Tea Break (3:00 pm – 3:30 pm)<\/p>\n Session 5 \u2013 COVID-19, Trade Secrets, and Data Protection (3:30 pm \u2013 5:00 pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:30 pm \u2013 3:50 pm<\/p>\n TRIPS and the Evil Empire: What would Darth Vader Say?<\/p>\n Professor Charles Lawson\u00a0<\/a>(Griffith University)<\/p>\n 3:50 pm \u2013 4:10 pm<\/p>\n Should the TRIPS Waiver apply to trade secrets?<\/p>\n Teddy Henriksen (University of the Sunshine Coast)<\/p>\n 4:10 pm \u2013 4:30 pm<\/p>\n A Tale of Two Coronaviruses \u2013 Data Sharing During Infectious Disease Emergencies<\/p>\n Dr\u00a0Michelle Rourke\u00a0<\/a>(Griffith University)<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n 4:30 pm \u2013 4:50 pm<\/p>\n Beyond The TRIPS Waiver<\/p>\n Professor Natalie Stoianoff<\/a>\u00a0(UTS) (by video)<\/p>\n 4:50 pm \u2013 5:10 pm<\/p>\n The Fall of the Innovation Empire and its Possible Rise through Open Science<\/p>\n Professor Richard Gold\u00a0<\/a>(McGill University, Canada) (by video)<\/p>\n