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Brazil Breaks Patent to Make AIDS Drug

Posted by michael on from the life-before-dollars dept.

Andy Tai writes: "In this CNN story, Brazil decides to break a patent over an AIDS drug for public benefits. Brazil will produce the drug domestically without agreements with patent holder, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche. Brazil's efforts to fight AIDS have been praised internationally, and it successfully prevented the US Government from bringing complaints in the WTO on behalf of the drugs industry. This may set an important example that public needs justify the disregard of patent protection." There's another article in the Boston Globe about the decision.

7 of 1,041 comments (clear)

  1. Bullshit. by FatSean · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    I sincerely doubt all the AIDS cases in Brazil were caused by blood transfusion, or passed from mother to child. A high percentage of those infected became that way by choices they made in regard to sexual activity and sharing of needles. In this age of education, AIDS is generally acquired do to ignoring precautions. Ignorance is no answer.

    --
    Blar.
  2. Re:Way to fucking GO!! by CmdrTaco+on · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Tell me about it. AIDS should be allowed to propegate to all the undesirables so we can weed them out of the gene pool. This means you, you flaming homo's!

    --

    saru mo ki kara ochiru

  3. Re:This is not a good trend to cheer. by HEbGb · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    The clear argument is, that it is wrong to steal, even if it saves someone's life. Period.

    The Brazilians are crooks for doing this, plain and simple.

  4. Re:Example? by sllort · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    How is AIDS a political problem?

    AIDS is not a political problem. The refusal of the Brazilian government to allocate the funds required to purchase the drugs necessary to save the lives of their citizens IS a political problem. By choosing instead to steal, Brazil has established itself in the world community as a thief of intellectual property on par with China, but without the manufacturing muscle to get away with it.

    And they will pay the price.

  5. Re:Lets keep dreaming for a while by Erasmus+Darwin · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    "Actually, the obvious fact that you are missing is that drug companies spend more money marketing their drugs than they do developing them."

    And...?

    Marketing -> more sales -> more revenue -> more research.

  6. Re:FUCK PEOPLE WITH AIDS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    Why is it you think anyone cares? Sure some people say they care, and in abstract kind of way they do, but really care... How many charities are there taking donations to help AIDS "victims"? How many people would give up their $3.50 daily iced latte from Starbucks for an AIDS charity? Not many. People are not nice, accept it and move on.


    If AIDS were a threat to straight men in Amaerica who don't use drugs and only have sex with their wives I might care, but that's not the case is it?

  7. Re:FUCK PEOPLE WITH AIDS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Actually this is the case, because your wife is probably sleeping with a big burly HIV infiected black man because your white pee pee is too small to satisfy her carnal desires. So now you have aids...

    What?

    It isn't fair you say?

    Oh well too bad...

    Stop thinking it can't happen to you, cuz it can!