The following passage was adapted from a law journal article published in 1998.
ββββββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββ ββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ βββ
Intro topic Β·
Intellectual property protection for biotech discoveries
Both industries and academia support protection.
ββββββββ βββββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββββ
Question Β·
How much does patenting in biotech hinder basic research?
βββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββ β ββββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββ β βββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ
Other people's (OP) perspective Β·
Patents hinder basic research through enforcement of patent rights or through contractual agreements
This isn't necessarily the author's view, because of the phrase "perceived threat." We're getting other people's perception of the threat.
ββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ β βββββ ββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββββββββββ βββ
Potential way patents slow research Β·
Patent infringement
Patent holders might sue or threaten to sue researchers who use patented biological materials.
ββ βββββ ββββββββββ β ββββββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββββ β ββββββ ββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ β ββββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββββ β βββββββ ββ ββββββββββββ βββ βββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββ βββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ
Potential way patents slow research Β·
Contractual agreements
Patent holders might charge researchers incredibly high fees or want other benefits in return for allowing use of patented biological materials.
βββββ ββ ββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββ β ββββββ ββββββ ββ ββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββββββ β ββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ βββ
Historical context Β·
Some researchers have always tried to hinder access to biological materials
ββββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββ β ββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ β ββββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ β βββββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββββ βββββ βββ βββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ βββ
Critique of OP Β·
There's reason to think patents won't be enforced in basic and non-commercial research
Just because someone has a patent doesn't mean they can enforce it.
ββββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ β ββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββ ββββ β βββββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββββββββ ββββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ β ββββββββββ βββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββββββββ βββ
Support for critique Β·
Patent litigation is expensive and judges traditionally grant patent exceptions for noncommercial research
βββββββββ ββ ββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ β ββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ ββ β ββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββββ
Benefit of patents Β·
Spurs research by giving financial incentive to innovate