Innovation in food systems and agricultural research is critical for African countries.
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Stronger agricultural R&D systems will enable agriculture to power Africa’s transformation.
Inequality has cost women the benefits of thousands of “lost” medical inventions.
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Boosting the number of female inventors isn’t just a matter of fairness. Inventions by men are more likely to ignore women’s needs.
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Lowering the tax rates on profits from patents registered in Australia is unlikely to increase local research and development. But it will be a gift for multinationals.
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Waiver talks might convince companies to focus on technology transfer and training, and let go of the plan to maximise patent-based revenues.
Protesters gather in Cambridge to demand that AstraZeneca shares blueprints for its COVID-19 vaccine.
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Much remains to be resolved before the waiver is translated into increased vaccine supply.
A COVID-19 surge has pushed hospitals in India beyond their capacity. A stadium in New Delhi was being used as a makeshift ward on May 2, 2021.
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The process will take months, if it’s even approved. But just the threat of waiving intellectual property rights could spur faster action.
South Africa has led efforts to share intellectual property relating to COVID-19 treatments, vaccines and tests.
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The US has backed a proposal to waive intellectual property relating to COVID measures – but global efforts need to go beyond vaccine patents.
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The change in the US position signals how clearly the success of every country in fighting the pandemic depends on vaccinating the whole world.
The US has agreed to ‘free the vaccine’, but will it work?
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It’s not clear whether the TRIPS agreement is what’s getting in the way of vaccine supply, and waiving intellectual property rights may stifle future innovation.
Attorneys for Apple heading to court during the so-called smartphone patent wars.
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Too many patents and too little information about them makes it hard for the system to weed out patents that unfairly block inventors.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, speaks with scientist Krishnaraj Tiwari at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Royalmount Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre facility in Montreal, Aug 31, 2020.
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To continue the fast-paced collaborative research and innovation we have seen during the pandemic, here are five ways universities can support health research that responds to societal needs.
Access to coronavirus vaccine depends on where in the world you live.
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Plus new research on why China is closing down coal-fired power stations. Listen to episode 3 of The Conversation Weekly.
Thomas Edison remains the poster child of American invention 89 years after his death.
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The story of invention in America typically features larger-than-life caricatures of white men like Thomas Edison while largely ignoring the contributions of women and people of color.
CRISPR enables editing DNA with unprecedented precision.
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Most scientific discoveries these days aren’t easily ascribed to a single researcher. CRISPR is no different – and ongoing patent fights underscore how messy research can be.
Production limits mean that not everyone can get access to a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s developed..
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A bioethicist explains a recent report that recommends how to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine equitably.
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Many countries recruit overseas talent in science and technology, but China’s approach to gaining intellectual property is particularly aggressive.
Marriage equality supporters in 2006 probably had no idea the law they advocated would spur innovation.
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Inventors in states with more socially liberal laws on the books end up with more diverse collaborators – and more higher-impact patents.
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A unique challenge is emerging in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine: how to balance intellectual property rights with serving the public good.
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There’s a risk Australia won’t get access to everything it will need need. It can take are simple stepsto make sure patents don’t get in the way.
Working together.
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Drug companies normally use patents to protect new treatments.