Biotech Report Says IP Spurs Innovation

ananyo writes "A report presented at the 2012 BIO International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts suggests that patents do not stifle progress when they occur at early phases of research, as some have suggested. Over the past decade, increases in patents have been matched by growth in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors in India, Brazil, Singapore and other countries with emerging economies. The strength of patent rights can be quantified in an index ranging from 0 (no patent rights) to 5 (very strong). Over time, the countries that U.S. biotech and pharmaceutical companies have invested in have moved up the IP barometer, the report (PDF) says."

Comments

Re:Lets Stick to Software Patents

[Runaway1956]

Hmmm. Is it, really?

First, let us separate the concept of "copyright" from today's crazy hodgepodge of insane laws designed to line the pockets of people who have never done anything to earn honest money.

The concept that IF there is money to be made from an original idea, or work, then the author should be entitled to some of that money, is valid. And, I think it reasonable that such a law should apply for a decade, maybe a bit more. Possibly even 20 or 25 years.

What we have today is an entirely different animal. Today, high powered lawyers determine that a work is valuable, and that their client should be entitled to collect royalties for his lifetime plus 75 years, or something similar.

Now, I have little problem with any company - even Microsoft, or Oracle, or IBM - being allowed to skim some profits off of any original works they may come up with. It does take an appreciable investment to solve some of the problems that they have solved, over the years. They should be permitted to profit. So, give them the copyright protections that are suitable, and allow them to collect royalties and/or licensing fees for ten, fifteen, even twenty years.

At which time, all that stuff reverts to the public domain. I believe that all versions of DOS up to MSDOS 5 would be in the public domain by now. (to lazy to check the dates, but it sounds right)

The next time you visit Disneyland, or Disneyworld, be sure to thank them for helping to pave the road to copyright hell. They were among the first influential people to begin lobbying congress for extended copyright laws, and other stupid shit. Thanks to them, and the likes of Sonny Boner, almost nothing written in my lifetime has entered the public domain - and I'm 56 fucking years old! Crazy, isn't it?