3. Theory of Patents

Date Source Title Summary Other Categories
05.2001 Nature Biotechnology Methods of treatment: Is there any protection available in Europe? As medical treatment methods are not patentable in the EU, alternative methods of protecting theraputic applications of pharmaceutiecals are explored with respect to the Directive, revisions, and case law. 2. Patent Law
03.12.2001 New York Times Patents: Part of Fierce Battle Over Genetic Engineering After agreeing last month to hear a dispute between two corn-seed companies struggling for economic advantage in the lucrative market for genetically engineered plants, the United States Supreme Court is preparing to settle whether such seeds should be awarded the kinds of patents that usually cover mechanical, electrical or chemical inventions. 2. Patent Law, 29. GMOs
02.15.2001 Nature Patents in a genetic age A look at the problems of patents in the area of genetics. Its implications on health care, research discussed with reference to international agreements and how the legal system interacts with the patent process. Moreover it discusses the lack of policy in the area of patents and the need for reform. [Some interesting stuff, but Richard writes it better ;)] 10. Ethical and Social Concerns Arising out of Patents, 19. General Patent and Biotechnology Information
02.01.2001 Nature Changing patent laws could be a healthy move to combat resistance [Opinion] The author proposes to break the cycle of short-term commercial pressure for optimal market return on investment and the resultant generation of drug resistance, in the long-term interests of human and animal health. He proposes a self-regulatory approach to break this cycle by linking the continuation of a patent to the resistance status of the product. 5. Economic Theory and Economics of Patents
12.2000 Nature Biotech Moving the gene patent debate forward [Part II] This article continues to build upon a framework for achieving a meaningful dialogue between industry and civil society in the patent debate, and offers some promising avenues in which both sides can achieve compromise. It stresses the importance of public opinion, and the need to structure dialogue within both a commercial and ethical framework; connecting goals with our ethical values so that we can agree on an acceptable levels of risk; demarcating industry’s role in attaining these goals and ensuring the satisfaction of their commercial concerns; finding means of attaining non-industry goals in biotech; and finally establishing regulatory regimes to protect health and the environment. 10. Ethical and Social Concerns Arising out of Patents, 16. Economics and Biotechnology Patents
12.14.2000 Nature Patent regimes should 'take account of poor' The British government has proposed an international commission on IP rights to consider how they can be designed "to take greater account of the interests of developing countries and poor people". Topics to be addressed by the commission would include access to genetic resources and "traditional knowledge" and on improving TRIPS. 10. Ethical and Social Concerns Arising out of Patents
11.02.2000 Nature Genes should not be patentable, but if they are, we all have to do it Brief correspondence on US patent regime and its relationship to Brazil’s biotech industry. Also a position on the ethics of patenting gene sequences and use of databases to safeguard “discoveries” related to gene sequences.
11.2000 Nature Biotech Finding common cause in the patent debate [Part I of II] This is an insightful framework for discussing the relevant concerns between industry and civil society with respect to the biotechnology patent debate. The author deconstructs both industry's claims for strong patent rights--by commenting on the implications of patent rights in biotechnology (and the false assumptions about these rights)--and opponents of biotech patents--by illustrating the fallacies of their respective arguments. The author also notes that both industry and critics make the same mistake in the debate, namely they overestimate the effect of patent rights in spurring innovation. 16. Economics and Biotechnology Patents