Covid virus effects on intellectual property rights

The outbreak of Coronavirus or Covid-19 has had profound effects on
various areas of social life. Legal rules have not been spared from the spread
of the virus. As far as intellectual property rights are concerned, these works
are evident not only in the field of industrial property rights, but also in the
field of literary and artistic property rights. Especially in the field of
pharmaceutical inventions, the need for reconciliation between the public
health requirements and the exclusive rights of inventors and trade secrets
associated with the coronavirus has become more apparent than ever. The
United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued
resolutions emphasizing the need for unity in equitable access to health
technologies against Covid-19 in all parts of the world through the shared
use of knowledge, intellectual property and data. In this regard, some jurists
recommend the need to use the mechanism of compulsory exploitation
(compulsory license) and other exceptions to the economic rights of
inventors and trade secret owners. Other works of Covid-19 on industrial
and commercial property rights include extending the deadlines related to
industrial property rights and responding to the Patent Office until the state
of emergency is resolved. In the field of literary and artistic property, except
for software and databases, in addition to using the exceptions of the
economic rights of creators, the focus is mainly on dramatic works and
financial aid to their performers who are deprived of economic interests
based on the pandemics.