Seite - 580 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE580 ils entraveront les réponses aux crises futures. Dans ce chapitre, nous suggérons d’harmoniser les mesures politiques nationales et interna- tionales afin de nuancer l’approche du Canada en matière de propriété intellectuelle et d’accélérer les contributions du pays sur la scène mon- diale grâce à la science ouverte. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, policy attention around international trade law, intellectual property rights, and domestic innovation policies focused mostly on patents and compulsory licensing. There was also some discus- sion, but less action, regarding other intellectual property rights, such as copyrights or trade secrets. One reason is that the global system governing trade in scientific and technical knowledge leaves govern- ments little room to manoeuvre with domestic intellectual property policy in the short term.1 Therefore, while Canada and other coun- tries should exploit flexibilities immediately, we argue that long-term policy opportunities are more important. Canada’s policy frameworks are poorly aligned with the coun- try’s characteristics. Canada has succeeded, and can succeed again, in aspects of the drug (or vaccine or diagnostic) development process.2 But Canadians are unlikely to do so alone, given the conditions of our pharmaceutical industry.3 For example, an Ebola vaccine was discovered in a Canadian laboratory supported by significant public investments, but a misguided proprietary strategy of patenting and exclusive licensing stalled clinical trials and eventually left most of the credit and profit to foreign firms.4 Canada’s plans for a national immunization strategy after SARS was underfunded and unsuccess- ful.5 After years of criticism, it remains questionable whether Canada 1. Jeremy de Beer, “Introduction to Intellectual Property Law”, in Oonagh E Fitzgerald, Valerie Hughes & Mark Jewett, eds, Reflections  on  Canada’s  Past,  Present and Future in International Law (Waterloo: CIGI Press, 2018). 2. See Jason W Nickerson and Matthew Herder, this volume. 3. See Industry Canada, Canada’s  Pharmaceutical  Industry  and  Prospects (Discussion Paper) (Kirkland: IMS Brogan, 2014). 4. Matthew Herder, Janice E Graham & Richard Gold, “From Discovery to Delivery: Public Sector Development of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola Vaccine” (2020) JL & Biosciences 1. 5. Public Health Agency of Canada, Learning  from  SARS:  Renewal  of  Public  Health  in Canada (Executive Summary) (Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada, 8 November 2004).