ID :
303791
Tue, 10/22/2013 - 08:14
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TPP Negotiators to Hold Meeting in Tokyo Next Week

Washington, Oct. 21 (Jiji Press)--Negotiators from the 12 economies participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks will hold an interim meeting on intellectual property rights in Tokyo from early next week, it was learned Monday. At the first TPP-linked meeting to be hosted by Japan since the country took part in the regional free trade talks in July, the intellectual property negotiators will try to iron out differences chiefly over drug patents, informed sources told Jiji Press. The Tokyo meeting is expected to last for a week, they said. Intellectual property protection is one of the biggest sticking points in the TPP negotiations. Specifically, Malaysia and other emerging economies have harshly reacted to a U.S. proposal to extend new drug patent protection periods for fear of such an extension hindering the promotion of low-cost generic drugs. At the planned meeting, participants are expected to discuss measures to strengthen patent rights while taking into account each country's situation, the sources said, adding Tokyo's ability to broker a deal will be tested. Earlier this month, the 12 countries confirmed their goal of concluding the talks by the end of this year and agreed to work to solve all outstanding difficult issues to this end. The countries, which are talking about holding a ministerial meeting in Singapore in December, hope to make progress toward the goal through various meetings such as the upcoming one in Tokyo, the sources said. END

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