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New drugs are an extremely specific and limited case of Patents, a chemical formula. If Biotech worked the way software did, you would be able to patent "A com

• distant-uncle 14y ago
  Very true. Or even just: "A combination of chemicals". What I also find remarkable is how much actual research in biotech is done with public money. And how much big pharma spends on marketing, as opposed to actual research. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/pharmaceutical-companies-marketing_n_1760380.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/pharmaceutical-comp... I think India's take on pharma products is enlightening. The pharma industry has managed to effect some self-serving changes in India's patent laws. However, as we speak the Supreme Court of India is hearing a case of particular interest. http://theconversation.edu.au/david-and-goliath-novartis-challenges-indias-patent-law-9880 http://theconversation.edu.au/david-and-goliath-novartis-cha...
• cloverich 14y ago
  "A combination of chemicals inside of a pill that cures headaches" Oh my god. That is a terrific analogy. I regularly talk to people who don't understand the horror of software patents and have been trying to come up with a good example - this is perfect.