In April 1998, Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) launched Viagra, a prescription drug for treating erectile dysfunction in the United States and Europe with great success medicine. However, its market entry in China was greeted with a 11-year battle with local pharmaceutical companies viagra patent brand in China and the three-dimensional mark (marks “3D”). Pfizer’s patent was invalidated by the authorities in July 2004 after being questioned jointly by 12 local companies. A local company has launched its own Chinese erectile dysfunction using Viagra nickname as his trademark, and a copy of the 3D brand Viagra. Pfizer defended its intellectual property rights (“IPR”) in court. Won patent litigation 3D marks, but lost in the case of the Chinese brand. Regardless of the outcome of litigation, Viagra sales in China have been stifled by counterfeiting and substitutes that contain the active ingredient herbal equivalent or generalized. Pfizer CEO trying to figure out what was wrong with their strategy of entering the market, how to generate more sales before its patent expired in 2014, and what should be done to better protect intellectual property for drugs that intends to launch in the country.
by
Yahong Li,
Jiangyong Lu,
Zhigang Tao,
Shangjin Wei,
Penelope Chan
Source: University of Hong Kong
32 pages.
Release: June 29, 2010. Prod #: HKU902-PDF-ENG
Viagra in China: a protracted battle over the issue Solution IPR
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