PhRMA and its South African equivalent IPASA have their names on documents which outline efforts to undermine a proposal to loosen that country’s intellectual property laws. PM Live reports that IPASA says it did not hire the lobbying firm Public Affairs Engagement, and that while PAE did submit the strategy, IPASA claims it rejected it. PMLive has an e-mail that seems to indicate otherwise.
Public Affairs Engagement’s strategy for defeating the proposed legislation hits on talking points that have been battered about in other countries, including: the proposal to loosen intellectual property laws will discourage capital investment—resulting in a cascade of negatives, like a slower growing economy. The firm also recommends commissioning an academic paper about “wealth and health” and promoting those findings in channels such as op-ed pieces and events.
PAE’s strategy also tries to strike at the country’s vanity. Part of the plan includes creating sound around pan-African IP reform, because going it alone and establishing a unique set of IP rules would threaten “South Africa with a loss of leadership role.”
