Pharmaceutical products are at the heart of the dispute.
If the US action at the WTO succeeds it will undermine efforts to improve access to vital medicines in Brazil, and set a dangerous precedent for other countries. The complaint at the WTO, and the associated use of unilateral trade threats, represents a gross violation of multilateral principles, and an unwarranted violation of national sovereignty in a critical area of public policy. It also highlights the need to clarify the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement to ensure that it cannot be used to undermine its own public health provisions. If you would like m o re information on any of ActionAid's campaigns, please click here . Article 68 allows the Brazilian Government to issue a compulsory license for the local production of imported patented drugs in the face of serious threats to public health.