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Why intellecutal propery laws are facing a counterattack
The Guardian The international regulation of intellectual property and patent law is neither fair nor efficient. It not only prevents many people from accessing essential medicines, but also hinders scientific progress and innovation. So far mainly developed countries and the pharmaceutical industries have benefited from the existing laws and have maximized their profits.
In 1997, South Africa's attempt to change the global intellectual property (IP) regime have failed, but now the country is again preparing to attack these regulations. Rightly, because knowledge is a (global) public good, and all nations should be able to participate equally. (Photo: Committee on Development and Intellectual Property/World Intellectual Propery Organization / flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)