Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Gehl Sampath, Padmashree
Author-Email: sampath@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social
	 Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology
Title: Breaking the Fence: Patent Rights and Biomedical Innovation in 'Technology Followers'
Abstract: The impact of patent protection on biomedical innovation has been a
	 controversial issue. Although a "medical anti-commons" has been
	 predicted due to a proliferation of patents on upstream technologies,
	 evidence to test these concerns is only now emerging. However, most
	 industrial surveys that shed light on this issue are mainly from
	 developed countries, making it very difficult to predict the impact of
	 patenting on biomedical innovation in developing and least developed
	 countries. This paper develops a framework of analysis for the impact of
	 patent rights on biomedical innovation in "technology follower"
	 developing countries. Based on the framework developed in the paper,
	 empirical data collected in an industry-level survey of the Indian
	 pharmaceutical industry between November 2004 and January 2005 is used
	 to analyze the impact of patent rights as recognized under the Agreement
	 on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS
	 Agreement) on biomedical innovati on in technology followers.  
Classification-JEL: O34, O31, L65, F13
Keywords: intellectual property rights, trade agreements, TRIPS, biotechnology,
	 pharmaceutical industry, patents, innovation
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 2006
Number: 2006-008
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2006/wp2006-008.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2006008