Guest Comments Received From Cyberspace

Wealthy governments have been negotiating a secretive deal that may cut off poor people from life-saving medicines. Millions rely on generic medicines to treat diseases like malaria and HIV. If the agreement proceeds, many peoples may face death for being unable to afford name-brand medications.

The treaty would set rules on “intellectual property” in many areas, like genetically modified crops, online file-sharing and drug patents. But 80 per cent of the world's countries, including China and India, aren't participating in the talks.

Negotiating governments want to rush through the so-called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement before public outcry can become too loud. But as word leaks out, a tide of opposition rises. Public-health and Internet-freedom advocates are sounding the alarm. In recent weeks, China, India and the European Parliament have spoken out in opposition.

Public voices can tip the scales and did stop earlier unjust trade talks. To ensure that no rotten deals are struck behind closed doors, readers can sign an online petition. If it reaches 50,000 signatures, it will be delivered at negotiations in Tokyo.

The proposed deal raises many concerns. The most outrageous provision covers essential medicines. ACTA would treat many “generic” and “counterfeit” drugs identically, making cheap competition for name-brands subject to the same seize-and-destroy tactics applied to fake medicines.

Pharmaceutical giants call this necessary to protect consumer safety, but they also sell generic versions of medicines on which patents have expired. Less-expensive generic medicines are not inherently more or less safe. The real differences are to drug-company profits and to poor people's lives.

Don't let a few countries go behind closed doors to decide the fate of billions of people. Vigilance can help to fend off attempts to prevent medicines from reaching all who need them.

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