Articles on Patent law

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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.
Drug patents don’t necessarily spur companies to innovate so much as restrict access to their IP. Andrii Zastrozhnov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Pharma’s expensive gaming of the drug patent system is successfully countered by the Medicines Patent Pool, which increases global access and rewards innovation

The Medicines Patent Pool was created to promote public health, facilitating generic licensing for patented drugs that treat diseases predominantly affecting low- and middle-income countries.
In the case of mānuka honey, there are serious questions about what authenticity actually means. from www.shutterstock.com

Mānuka honey: who really owns the name and the knowledge

While industry bodies fight over who can claim that their mānuka honey is authentic, Māori interests are often left out of the debate.
Fixing electronics devices doesn’t need to be difficult. Krashenitsa Dmitrii/Shutterstock.com

Why can’t we fix our own electronic devices?

Many companies are working to prevent customers from fixing broken smartphones and tractors. By doing so, they’re missing out on an opportunity to build customer loyalty and boost profits.
Only by importing and manufacturing generic drugs can developing nations afford to meet their people’s health care needs. Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters

How changing drug patent rules will affect developing nations

After nearly two decades of legal battles and negotiations, South Africa is moving to cut the cost of medicines with policies to increase imports and local production of generic drugs.

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