Fed: Govt might consider revised amendment to FTA - Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2004
Fed: Govt might consider revised amendment to FTA - Downer

CANBERRA, Aug 5 AAP - The government might consider Labor's controversial amendment
to the United States free trade deal if the proposal was fundamentally changed, Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer said today.

The government has accepted one Labor amendment to the trade deal to protect local
content rules for television without seeing the proposal in detail.

But it has been digging in its heels on Labor's other amendment which would give tough
penalties to drug companies which lodged dodgy patents to stop cheap generic drugs coming
on to the market.

Mr Downer said this amendment would have dire consequences for Australia's intellectual
property regime, and even possibly destroy it.

He said the government would only agree to support the amendment if it did not damage
the existing regime.

"Well if he (Opposition Leader Mark Latham) backs down on the detail of his amendment
and comes up with something which is, you know, at worst superfluous, but certainly in
no way damaging, then obviously as with the local content rule that's not a problem,"

Mr Downer told ABC radio.

"But where a proposal is put forward which is reckless, dangerous and would destroy
the foundations of our intellectual property regime in this country, I mean it would just
be simply irresponsible for the government to accept that.

"If the Labor Party, in particular if Mr Latham, decides fundamentally to change the
proposal he's putting forward, then we'll have a look at that."

Mr Downer's comments came after Trade Minister Mark Vaile said even if the government
saw the detail of Labor's second amendment it would not be prepared to support its proposal.

Labor wants to impose hefty fines on drug companies which try to lodge patents which
would stop cheaper drugs coming on to the market.

Mr Downer said Mr Latham had not thought through the consequences of the amendment.

"He hadn't realised that if you implemented his proposal, as he's described it, then
every single person in Australia who applies for a patent but gets that patent knocked
back gets hit with a massive fine ... in which case if people apply for patents .... they
are not going to apply for patents at all," Mr Downer said.

"That will destroy the intellectual property regime we have in this country."

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KEYWORD: TRADE US DOWNER

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