Update, Viagra Infringement Case

Update: The legal battle over the legitimacy of the patent rights for the Viagra drug has been resumed. Drug maker Pfizer is suing China’s Patent Re-examination Board (PRB) of the State Intellectual Property Office for wrongfully invalidating its China patent. During the hearing Pfizer called on the Court to withdraw the decision of July 2004. The defendant, PRB, insisted that the decision was right and legal. This case is of great concern to foreign companies wishing to seek patent protection in China. The American Chamber of Commerce-China said in July last year that the decision made by PRB was a step backward for IPR protection.