What's wrong with the patent laws?

[greeneyes_fan]

Now, I know that patent law and intellectual property law are two different things. However, the recent excitement over extension of intellectual property rights has drawn my attention to a related field

Comments

[ratherastory]

Yet another reason to be happy I live in my province. While it seriously sucks that there's no generic inhaled steroid, at least here no matter what you do there will always be insurance that makes sure you can afford your meds.

Is it me, or is the industrialized world kind of (a lot) broken?

[greeneyes_fan]

Actually, Canada DOES have generic inhaled steroids.

Yet another reason Americans can't afford healthcare: We shoulder the drug-development costs for the entire fucking planet, NOT through research grants, through individual consumers' medication costs. (And the way research gets paid for incentivizes the wrong research, of course.)

Yes, pregnant women in Nigeria should have access to the latest antivirals, but we need a better plan to pay for them. It shouldn't be on small business owners in Nebraska trying to provide their employees with health insurance, breaking under double-digit annual premium increases.

You know what would really help? If more people knew enough math to really understand the connections here, rather than believing that if they clap their hands, we can cure cancer for free.

[ratherastory]

Actually, Canada DOES have generic inhaled steroids.

Hey, good news on that front, then. I haven't had to buy a prescription drug in years (*knocks on wood*) so I wouldn't know.

You know what would really help? If more people knew enough math to really understand the connections here, rather than believing that if they clap their hands, we can cure cancer for free.

Hell, I'm a reasonably educated person and try to stay informed, and I have no idea about what the math is or what all the connections/ramifications are. The information doesn't appear to be anything close to common knowledge.

[greeneyes_fan]

You know, now I want to write a book on it. Or, like, an article of reasonable length, not a whole book. But the fundamental reason that heath care costs go up all the time is that technology improves all the time, which means that more problems can be fixed and more sick people can be saved.

[ratherastory]

I would totally read that AND circulate it, if you did write it. :)