Wikileaks: U.S. backing pharmaceuticals in Trans-Pacific Partnership draft

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/13/wikileaks-u-s-backing-pharmaceuticals-in-trans-pacific-partnership-draft/



Wikileaks: U.S. backing pharmaceuticals in Trans-Pacific Partnership draft
By Agence France-Presse
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 20:35 EST

The United States is seeking broader protections for its pharmaceutical and other companies in negotiations on an ambitious Pacific trade deal, according to a document released Wednesday by WikiLeaks.

Julian Assange’s anti-secrecy activist website published what it said was the draft text as of late August for a chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is being negotiated among 12 countries that comprise more than 40 percent of the world economy.

The text shows widespread disagreements among negotiators, despite calls from President Barack Obama to seal the agreement by the end of the year. Talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In multiple passages in the documents, the United States is seen as pressing for greater leeway for companies to seek patents in the medical field, a move that could potentially restrict cheaper generic drugs in the vast area.

[bemildred]

1. Gotta keep those drug monopolies going somehow.

Lord knows our business elites have long since forgotten how to compete on a level playing field.