WASHINGTON and GENEVA, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A renowned group of international thought leaders, representing countries around the world, today launched Essential Innovation (http://www.essentialinnovation.org/) -- an online forum that will feature commentary and analysis on the importance of continued innovation, and the potentially disastrous consequences a decline in intellectual property rights will have on global public health. This unprecedented forum demonstrates cooperation to protect innovation from groups spread around the world, joining noted academic thought leaders, as well as scientists, researchers, doctors and inventors who create life-saving and life-enhancing products and services.

The launch of http://www.essentialinnovation.org/ coincides with increased attacks on intellectual property (IP) by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and governments. In a number of countries, notably Thailand and Brazil, recognized IP protections for life-saving medicines are being tossed aside under the guise of promoting greater access. The World Health Organization (WHO) in November will also consider policy guidelines that significantly weaken IP protections on pharmaceuticals.

"Intellectual property rights are under attack from governments and global regulatory bodies," said Juliano Froehner, advisor to Essential Innovation and Asst. Professor, Researcher on Innovation Management, University of Sao Paulo. "Patients around the world are in desperate need of new therapies to treat a variety of conditions. We need strong IP protection to encourage Brazil's creative class, and the creative classes in countries around the world, to go for it and develop the next line of life-saving medicine."

According to Froehner, anti-IP messaging has saturated the discourse around this debate, and http://www.essentialinnovation.org/ was created to provide a platform for innovators.

"This is an all-volunteer effort to provide a resource for anyone -- media, NGOs, government officials, academics -- looking for information from the scientists, researchers and inventors who are actually developing new medicine around the world. The Internet is littered with biased opinions about innovation from a small group of activists who have never done anything to advance science to save lives. This is most apparent in the claims from MSF, Oxfam and others that the patent system does not produce innovation. Nothing could be more patently absurd," said Froehner.

Essential Innovation will aggregate content from the scholarship of academia, researchers and inventive communities around the world and will also introduce unique, never-seen-before material. Website content will include the work of "featured contributors," news, academic updates and an events calendar. More than 20 featured contributors will maintain a blog on issues related to innovation and intellectual property protection. Contributors and other invited guests will have access to special "members-only" areas of the website that include discussion forums and additional dialogue on IP-related issues.

"The role of IP in the production of life-saving therapies is complicated, as are the real hindrances to access. It is our goal to provide compelling facts and information that will explain how IP cultivates innovation and provides a catalyst for developing new medicines to fight disease," said Froehner.

Essential Innovation Advisory Board -- Cristina Theodore Assimakopoulos, Head of Intellectual Property Division of FAPESP, State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation -- Maria Ester Dal Poz, Public Policy Advisor to the dean of UNIFESP - Federal University of Sao Paulo -- Andreas Freytag, Professor of Economics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena -- Juliano Froehner, Asst. Professor, Researcher on Innovation Management, University of Sao Paulo -- F. Scott Kieff, Professor of Law, Washington University and Hoover Institution Fellow, Stanford University -- William Marandola, Executive Manager, COINFAR Research and Development -- Michael P. Ryan, Director Creative and Innovative Economy Center, George Washington University Law School -- Juliana Viegas, Former President, Brazilian Association of Intellectual Property Essential Innovation Featured Contributors (as of 24 October) -- Cristina Theodore Assimakopoulos, Head of Intellectual Property Division of FAPESP, State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation -- Daniele Capezzone, President of the 10th Permanent Commission for Productive Affairs, Trade and Tourism of the Italian Chamber of Deputies -- Ronald A. Cass, Dean Emeritus, Boston University School of Law -- Maria Ester Dal Poz, Public Policy Advisor to the dean of UNIFESP - Federal University of Sao Paulo -- Benedetto Della Vedova, Member of the Italian Parliament, Chamber of Deputies -- Andreas Freytag, Professor of Economics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena -- Juliano Froehner, Asst. Professor, Researcher on Innovation Management, University of Sao Paulo -- Tom Giovanetti, President, Institute for Policy Innovation -- Waldemar Ingdahl, Founder and Director, Eudoxa -- F. Scott Kieff, Professor of Law, Washington University and Hoover Institution Fellow, Stanford University -- Martin Krause, Professor of Institutional Economics and Business Economics, ESEADE Graduate School -- William Marandola, Executive Manager, COINFAR Research and Development -- Barun S. Mitra, Managing Trustee, Liberty Institute, India -- Julian Morris, Executive Director, International Policy Network -- Daniel de Oliveira, Intellectual Property Division of UNIFESP - Federal University of Sao Paulo -- Gernot Pehnelt, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena -- James P. Pinkerton, Columnist at Newsday -- Maria Bernadete de Noronha Dantas Rossetto, Coordinator of the Intellectual Property Division of UNIFESP - Federal University of Sao Paulo -- Michael P. Ryan, Director Creative and Innovative Economy Center, George Washington University Law School -- Tomasz Teluk, Director and Founder of the Globalization Institute -- Richard Tren, Director, Africa Fighting Malaria -- Juliana Viegas, Former President, Brazilian Association of Intellectual Property

CONTACT: Lindsey Parker of Essential Innovation, +1-202-657-6034,
Washington, DC; +41-22-548-0838, Geneva; or +55-11-3717-1812, Sao Paulo,
media@essentialinnovation.org

Web site: http://www.essentialinnovation.org/