After raising the demand, together with South Africa, the members of the World Trade Organisation waive all IPR on copyright, industrial design, patents, and undisclosed details concerning vaccines and medicine for Covid-19, India should walk the talk on the Covid vaccines and IPRs.

India has supplied Covid vaccines as grant assistance and exports, even as it meets its massive domestic requirements, even as rich countries have turned inward. Aside from the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India, India exports its own Covaxin. The government should purchase Covaxin’s IPRs from its creators, Bharat Biotech and ICMR, and allow Bharat Biotech to sell the vaccine at a price that excludes the IPR portion, as well as license producers anywhere in the world to manufacture the vaccine, subject to quality control. The step comes ahead of a WTO meeting this week on India and South Africa’s plan, which has the support of 57 developing countries as of the last count.

The waiver, which would be extended periodically, would be in effect for a set period determined by the General Council until global vaccination is in place and most of the world’s population is resistant. Countries may grant compulsory licenses as an alternative to an IPR waiver. It’s feasible, but it’s difficult and time-consuming. By far, an IPR waiver would be preferable. China is disseminating vaccines that are free of intellectual property rights. If only the vaccines available from China were all successful, that would have been a truly remarkable show of soft power. The planet will not be able to fully recover from the pandemic if the poorer countries are left behind. Vaccines that do not contain the IPR will be beneficial.

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