O’Reilly Radar > Patents and the Flu:
I understand the argument that intellectual property laws incent companies to invest in drug research, and that circumventing those laws could inhibit development of drugs that would ultimately save many lives. It seems absurd, though, not to have a discussion about ways to preserve Roche’s interests while providing against the possibility of a pandemic. I’m disappointed to see Leavitt’s simplistic response. More people died from influenza during the 1918–19 pandemic than died in all of World War I; I’d hope that it would not be patents that would prevent the government from protecting against a future pandemic. The tech world has good reason to complain about software patents, but in comparison, this is far more troubling.