They are copies of AIDS medicines developed by large drug companies. Last month, the Indian drug company offered developing nations a special price on generic versions of three drugs. The company said it could make the drugs even less costly in the future. Companies like Cipla can provide drugs that are much less costly than the same drugs developed and sold by large international drug companies. However, the international drug companies that first developed the AIDS-drug treatments say companies like Cipla are violating their rights.
Governments give companies special rights to make and sell products that they invent.
This special permission is called a patent. A patent prevents other companies from making the same drug for a number of years while the patent is in force. Patents are important because they help companies recover the money they spent in developing new products. Drug companies say the cost of their research is so high that they must charge high prices to pay for their research. Earlier this month, a court case began in Pretoria, South Africa.