Region: Africa & Middle East

BioNTech confirms it will not enforce covid 19 patents – at least for now

The German biotech company becomes the second mRNA vaccine maker to say it will not take legal action during pandemic

21 February 2022

Lack of mRNA tech transfer “a blessing in disguise” for WHO vaccine team, says Afrigen boss

Petro Terblanche tells IAM about the IP issues surrounding her team’s new replica of Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine

10 February 2022

WHO’s vaccine successes show significance of Moderna covid IP pledge

African tech transfer hub is making fast progress in replicating the approved mRNA jab

18 January 2022

Apple fends off China patent threats from Samsung unit

As the iPhone maker continues sparring with Corephotonics at PTAB and Federal Circuit, records show the camera tech battle has also spread to Chinese courts

11 November 2021

Key takeaways from Merck’s landmark covid IP licensing deal with the Medicines Patent Pool

The agreement is the first granting non-exclusive and royalty free rights to sub-licensees of a covid therapeutic or vaccine

02 November 2021

Talks over covid vaccine IP waiver appear increasingly futile

Saturday Opinion: The prospect of an international agreement on the proposed suspension of TRIPS now appears vanishingly small

23 October 2021

Moderna’s covid-19 patent pledge may be backfiring

Though a short-term PR success, the company’s commitment risks looking hollow after its decision not to license know-how to new WHO Africa tech-transfer hub

15 October 2021

Moderna’s covid-19 IP pledge is about to be put to the test

The WHO’s African vaccine hub is seeking to imitate the company’s jab, but an agreement has yet to be reached

24 September 2021

IAM Patent 1000 insights

Featured in Special Report 2021 Q3: IP leadership - what it is and why it matters

09 September 2021

How South Africa’s AI patent was granted and why it is so vulnerable to attack

The applicant cleared its path to success by circumventing any basis for interrogation of the identity of the inventor but that leaves the resulting IP highly exposed in the case of a challenge

30 July 2021