Tuesday, October 7, 2008

R.I.P. IP

When we think about problems regarding “Intellectual Property” and copyright, usually our thoughts about this topic mostly relate to the issues troubling the entertainment industry. As we know however, the problems extend to other creations and are much broader than some would expect. A study, published by non-profit group ‘The Innovation Group’, doesn’t pull many punches about IP. Right at the start, it addresses the cause of the problem as many see it, from biotechnology to the music industry.

The current era of intellectual property is waning. It has been based on two faulty assumptions made nearly three decades ago: that since some intellectual property (IP) is good, more must be better; and that IP is about controlling knowledge rather than sharing it. These assumptions are as inaccurate in biotechnology, the field of science covered by this report, as they are in other fields from music to software.

The study focuses on how this “Age-Old IP” system harms innovation and consumers. When it comes to biotechnology, (i.e. medication, treatments, equipment), withholding information or purposefully restricting it will lead to deaths. One example the paper makes on this topic is the lawsuits 39 pharmaceutical companies brought against the South Africa government, for trying to act effectively to deal with the HIV/AIDS crisis there. Such restrictions have undoubtedly hastened the deaths of thousands if not millions.


Another instance of the detrimental aspect of the old IP system is the insatiable drive for profit of these pharmaceutical companies. According to a report in Business Daily Africa, Kenyan medicine-men have revealed that they have kept their traditional practices to themselves, because of the fear of patents. With the high costs, and excessive paperwork, filing patents on the techniques is not feasible to them. They are worried that companies that find the patent process trivial will patent their techniques, and prevent them from being used.

This shows yet again how Big Pharmacy practices are robbing people of their medicine; only now, they have managed to silence the critical word-of-mouth distribution of indigenous knowledge, through fear of monopolization of traditional medicine. It is high time for the patent system in general and pharmacy patents in particular, to be exposed and abolished. It is unfortunate that the formerly noble intent of copyright and patents – to promote progress, has ceased to be true.

http://www.theinnovationpartnership.org/ieg/documents/cases/TIP_C9_E.pdf

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