Articles on Intellectual property

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Alan Montag, a third-generation Iowa farmer, and his son Aden load soybean seed into a planter on May 6, 2026. Scott Olson/Getty Images

How everyone pays the cost for patents on seeds, and private companies get rich from keeping them secret

When huge companies assert their patents, smaller businesses and public plant breeders are dissuaded from conducting research that might not be illegal at all.
When companies file hundreds of patents for a single drug, affordable versions can remain out of reach for years. pilli/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Some new drugs aren’t actually ‘new’ – pharmaceutical companies exploit patents and raise prices for patients, but data transparency can help protect innovation

By extending their monopoly on a drug, companies prevent generics and other competitors from driving down prices. But increasing transparency can help prevent Big Pharma from gaming the patent system.

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