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The argument in the article for why the vaccine could not be produced is that there are new technical innovations that can't be done by other companies. I belie

The argument in the article for why the vaccine could not be produced is that there are new technical innovations that can't be done by other companies. I believe this to be a straw man argument. Each new human innovation is based on a massive mountain of previous human innovation. Many, many companies are on the edge of this innovation and allowing them to use the innovations of other companies without fear of patents litigation would allow them to make that last step now. Patents are one of the most insidious harms we have in our society today. Patent defenders claim that patents protect innovators. The truth is actually the exact opposite: patents are a monopoly legal tactic most often used so that the patent obtainer does not have to innovate further or execute. Patents kill all further innovation in the area they are in. A great example of this is that hundreds of companies used to manufacture aircraft. Boeing and Airbus bought up all the companies that own patents, and now it's nearly impossible to start a new aircraft manufacturing business due to Boeing's monopoly on the patents. Aircraft have changed very little ever since. We need to eliminate the patent system and allow free trade to actually work.

visarga 6y ago
I agree patents are harmful, especially in this situation, but the reason there are so few aircraft companies is because the tech matured and the standards of safety raised by a lot.
Accujack 6y ago
>Each new human innovation is based on a massive mountain of previous human innovation. That's a general rule of thumb, but it's not a law. There are innovations that are non sequels of previous developments. Sometimes inventors think differently than anyone else. The idea that multiple companies were "almost" on the edge of mRNA vaccines is pretty much proven false by the place the two existing companies got the tech - from the pair of people who developed it, one for each company.

visarga 6y ago

I agree patents are harmful, especially in this situation, but the reason there are so few aircraft companies is because the tech matured and the standards of safety raised by a lot.

Accujack 6y ago

>Each new human innovation is based on a massive mountain of previous human innovation. That's a general rule of thumb, but it's not a law. There are innovations that are non sequels of previous developments. Sometimes inventors think differently than anyone else. The idea that multiple companies were "almost" on the edge of mRNA vaccines is pretty much proven false by the place the two existing companies got the tech - from the pair of people who developed it, one for each company.