Do patents matter? And especially, do they matter as a way for inducing private pharmaceutical companies to develop new products that are primarily demanded in third-world countries? As illustrated in a recent special series of articles in the Washington Post, the answers to these questions present policy issues that...

The patenting of gene-related inventions--specifically, the discovery and application of gene sequences for medical and other purposes--is a topic that is both extremely important and little understood beyond a narrow circle of lawyers and research organizations. These patents apply to knowledge that is of great public and private value in...

This new volume from the AEI Press includes six thoughtful essays on the intellectual property controversy in two of today’s key knowledge-based industries.

As Congress considers legislation that would allow imitative biological products, known as "biosimilars," to rely on the safety and efficacy data of original innovators, it must ensure that any provisions passed will foster, not stifle, discovery.

Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a huge roadblock for global health, so why do large NGOs not do more to stop them?

The appropriate dimensions of protection for intellectual property rights in general, and patents in particular, have been matters of controversy since the 16th century. Software and biotechnology, both relatively new areas to come under the patent umbrella, have brought the debate to a fevered pitch in recent years. The Joint...

A review of Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays by Christopher Hitchens.

China, a major link in the world's pharmaceutical supply chain, is taking steps and forming international partnerships to improve drug safety and combat drug counterfeiting.