This article addresses the contemporary issue of balancing the need for patent protection for intellectual property with the resulting restriction of public access to new technology. The author argues that patent law protects private property rights rather than creating monopolies. Additionally, the author discusses how restricting access to patented technology, such as pharmaceuticals, can affect public health problems, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing nations. The author then concludes with some proposals for making patented technology available to people in developing nations who need access to such technology but who are unable to afford its high costs due to patent protection.
{"title":"Patent law--balancing profit maximization and public access to technology.","authors":"Andrew Beckerman-Rodau","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article addresses the contemporary issue of balancing the need for patent protection for intellectual property with the resulting restriction of public access to new technology. The author argues that patent law protects private property rights rather than creating monopolies. Additionally, the author discusses how restricting access to patented technology, such as pharmaceuticals, can affect public health problems, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing nations. The author then concludes with some proposals for making patented technology available to people in developing nations who need access to such technology but who are unable to afford its high costs due to patent protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":87208,"journal":{"name":"The Columbia science and technology law review","volume":"4 ","pages":"E1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24864848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nanotechnology, which involves investigating and manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular levels, may radically transform industry and society. Because nanotechnology could introduce whole new classes of materials and products, it could present an array of novel challenges to regulatory agencies. In this note, John Miller explores the regulatory challenges facing the Food and Drug Administration in regulating nanomedical products. First, the FDA will have trouble fitting the products into the agency's classification scheme. Second, it will be difficult for the FDA to maintain adequate scientific expertise in the field. He concludes that the FDA should consider implementing several reforms now to ensure that it is adequately prepared to regulate nanomedicine.
{"title":"Beyond biotechnology: FDA regulation of nanomedicine.","authors":"John Miller","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nanotechnology, which involves investigating and manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular levels, may radically transform industry and society. Because nanotechnology could introduce whole new classes of materials and products, it could present an array of novel challenges to regulatory agencies. In this note, John Miller explores the regulatory challenges facing the Food and Drug Administration in regulating nanomedical products. First, the FDA will have trouble fitting the products into the agency's classification scheme. Second, it will be difficult for the FDA to maintain adequate scientific expertise in the field. He concludes that the FDA should consider implementing several reforms now to ensure that it is adequately prepared to regulate nanomedicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":87208,"journal":{"name":"The Columbia science and technology law review","volume":"4 ","pages":"E5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"24864154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}