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The science that these drugs are based on was given to the public domain for free by scientists all around the world throughout history. Lets see if these greed

by ksk 11y ago

The science that these drugs are based on was given to the public domain for free by scientists all around the world throughout history. Lets see if these greedy companies are willing to pay those scientists whose results they freely use. Knowledge that helps save lives should not be under copyright (nor should it be a for-profit enterprise, but that is a separate argument).

JoeAltmaier 11y ago
The free market has been pretty efficient at inventing lifesaving gadgets and processes. They are protected by patent and copyright. Its arguable they wouldn't exist otherwise. Its a lazy view that 'everything we need should be free' that ignores basic facts about invention and innovation.
- ksk 11y ago
  If we're being generous - your argument is weak. Most governments heavily subsidize core scientific research through public funds. It is decidedly NOT a free market. The free market has always been horrible at anything to do with public good. >Its a lazy view that 'everything we need should be free' that ignores basic facts about invention and innovation Nobody said that.
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    Oh come on - "Knowledge that helps save lives should not be under copyright (nor should it be a for-profit enterprise, but that is a separate argument). " That's what I was getting at. Devices and processes are what patents are for, for a reason. Scientific research - ok, that's a different beast. I probably changed the subject there, sorry.
tsotha 11y ago
>The science that these drugs are based on was given to the public domain for free by scientists all around the world throughout history. Lets see if these greedy companies are willing to pay those scientists whose results they freely use. The scientists are normally working for hire, which means everything they discover belongs to the company or university that employs them, and universities do maintain and aggressively defend large patent portfolios. Very little of this is "given to the public domain for free". Also, drug targets are a dime a dozen. That's the easy part. What's difficult and expensive is getting a drug through the regulatory process. If drug companies aren't going to see a profit that will all have to be publicly funded.

by ksk 11y ago

JoeAltmaier 11y ago

The free market has been pretty efficient at inventing lifesaving gadgets and processes. They are protected by patent and copyright. Its arguable they wouldn't exist otherwise. Its a lazy view that 'everything we need should be free' that ignores basic facts about invention and innovation.

ksk 11y ago
If we're being generous - your argument is weak. Most governments heavily subsidize core scientific research through public funds. It is decidedly NOT a free market. The free market has always been horrible at anything to do with public good. >Its a lazy view that 'everything we need should be free' that ignores basic facts about invention and innovation Nobody said that.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  Oh come on - "Knowledge that helps save lives should not be under copyright (nor should it be a for-profit enterprise, but that is a separate argument). " That's what I was getting at. Devices and processes are what patents are for, for a reason. Scientific research - ok, that's a different beast. I probably changed the subject there, sorry.

tsotha 11y ago

>The science that these drugs are based on was given to the public domain for free by scientists all around the world throughout history. Lets see if these greedy companies are willing to pay those scientists whose results they freely use. The scientists are normally working for hire, which means everything they discover belongs to the company or university that employs them, and universities do maintain and aggressively defend large patent portfolios. Very little of this is "given to the public domain for free". Also, drug targets are a dime a dozen. That's the easy part. What's difficult and expensive is getting a drug through the regulatory process. If drug companies aren't going to see a profit that will all have to be publicly funded.