Bill C-398 - *An Act to Amend the Patent Act*, an NDP private members bill sponsored by NDP members Hélène Laverdière, is currently before the House.
An "organization" called the Grandmothers Advocacy Network or 'GRAN' has a petition campaign underway. No less than 11 MP's have presented petitions to the House that were sponsored by GRAN. At least 40 more are expected in the days to come.
GRAN is NOT the Stephen Lewis Foundation or the Grandmothers-To-Grandmothers Campaign, though GRAN makes liberal use of their goodwill and resources.
GRAN has a single item agenda: the passage of Bill C-398, which will weaken Canada's current law for compulsory licensing of patented drugs for humanitarian purposes, also known as Canada's Access to Medicine Regime (CAMR).
GRAN is not an organization of caring grandmothers and volunteers. It's a slick lobby campaign promoting noble goals and lofty intentions, wrapped in motherhood and apple pie, and a very crafty way to develop a world (black?) market for cheap, legal, copycat drugs from Canada.
Apotex, owned by Barry Sherman, one of Canada's richest men, stands to profit from the passage of Bill C-398. The current laws, known as CAMR has worked once already, without undue government delay. Apotex still whined about it. Now secret agents like GRAN have been deployed to advance the cause.
I find it so offensive that billionaires like Daryl Katz and Barry Sherman have a hand in writing the laws of Canada.
Amending Canada's Patent laws (again) is no way to help Africa or fight AIDS, even if does not cost Canada a dime.
It's time to rally against C-398. It has nothing to do with aid and humanity.
KILL BILL 398
