On the Challenges Facing Patent Pooling inBiotechnology

Abstract

The effect of patents and patent law on innovation has of late gained considerable attention in the US and elsewhere as public policy concerns have been raised as to whether the patent system is broken and tends to stifle, rather than foster innovation. In addition to these concerns there are international aspects as to how protection of intellectual property can be effectively assured across borders, on the one hand, and how the benefits of innovation and advance, especially in medicine, can be made to benefit those in poorer countries.