Clarification

Abdul Muktadir, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, said he was misinterpreted in a report, "Foreign drug-makers rush for slow patents", published in Star Business yesterday.
In a statement, Muktadir said the report misquoted him as saying "the multinational companies would like to see the local industries barred".
He said he did not make any such comment. He clarified that he responded to a query -- why are multinational companies filing so many patent applications? He had replied: "Most of these applications are coming to Bangladesh through WIPO [World Intellectual Property Organisation]."
"Bangladeshi companies will be able to make copies of patented products until January 1, 2016 and then afterwards the companies will have to abide by the regulations of TRIPS [Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights]."
"No local company will be able to make copy of those drugs patented after that cut-off date," Muktadir said.