Compulsory Licensing in North America |
On January 17, 1990, Novopharm applied under s. 39(4) of the Patent Act for a compulsory licence under the patents owned by Eli Lilly. The application was vigorously contested by Eli Lilly, but, it was found that none of the objections constituted a valid reason to refuse the application and the Commissioner of Patents accordingly granted the licence, as he was obliged to do under the Act as it then existed. The licence, which, unless validly terminated by Eli Lilly (a very contentious issue in the instant appeals), is still in force, permits Novopharm to use the patented process to make nizatidine for the preparation or production of medicine, and to import and/or sell medicine made by the process. It also permits Novopharm to make, use, sell and import either or both of the invention for medicine and the invention for the preparation or the production of medicine. The royalty rate to be paid by Novopharm to Eli Lilly Canada on sales of the medicine in final-dosage form is fixed at six percent of the selling price. The Commissioner of Patents, in a decision dated October 21, 1991, found that the licence is not restricted to the forms of medicine listed by Novopharm in its application, as such "would place unnecessary limits on [Novopharm's] operations under the licence".
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