Brazil threatens to break Merck AIDS drug copyright

Unhappy with Merck's offer of a deep discount on its antiretroviral drug, Brazil says it will issue a compulsory license to obtain the drug for a nominal amount. For its part, Merck--which offered a 30 percent discount to Brazil on efavirenz--says it is still interested in negotiations, but Brazil shows no signs of returning to the bargaining table. Brazilian law allows for compulsory licenses to break copyright protections on drugs in the event of a public health emergency, but a similar move by Thailand led the U.S. government to label the country a copyright violator.

- read this article from Forbes on the issue

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