AusBiotech supports ‘Raising the Bar’

AusBiotech welcomes a legislative Bill that has been introduced into the Australian Parliament today - The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Bill 2011.

AusBiotech confirms its support in general for this package of intellectual property reform developed by IP Australia and contained in the ‘Raising the Bar’ Bill. Specifically, AusBiotech is in favour of a broad research use exemption from patent infringement becoming enshrined in Australia’s patent law so this country’s researchers and industry may be confident as they strive to innovate.

In its recent submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Patent Amendment (Human Genes & Biological Materials) Bill 2010, AusBiotech stated its belief that the thresholds for patentability should be properly set and rigorously applied across all forms of invention, ie: in a technology-neutral manner. AusBiotech has publicly and strongly opposed the Patent Amendment (Human Genes & Biological Materials) Bill 2010, as it completely fails to address any of the community’s valid concerns and threatens scientific research and development on biological materials.

AusBiotech is instead in favour of the Government’s ‘Raising the Bar’ Bill which, when taken together with the erudite recommendations from the Australian Law Reform Commission 1999 report, the Senate Inquiry into Gene Patents (2010) and the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property 2010 review will deliver the solutions to address the issues identified by clinicians, researchers, industry and the community.

AusBiotech strongly encourages the Australian Parliament to support the Bill so that the many consequential benefits of the law reform can be effected.

Dr Anna Lavelle, CEO of AusBiotech said: “Two years of consultation and deliberation that has resulted in the “Raising the Bar’ Bill, will guarantee a strengthening of Australia’s IP management system.”