Book Description

Intellectual Property Issues in Life Sciences: Disputes and Controversies highlights emerging legal, social, and regulatory issues pertaining to various areas of life sciences. Patents occupy a prominent position in the innovation systems in the life sciences, but to what extent they support, or hinder innovation is widely disputed. Life science is a broad subject including agriculture, ecology, microbiology, plant and animal sciences, health and diseases, biotechnology, etc. However, despite the broad applications of biotechnology and molecular biology techniques, profits on investments are surprisingly low. Thus, it is vitally important for universities, public research organizations, and private enterprises to protect their innovations. There are vast differences of opinion on patentability of living organisms, which are largely barred from patent protection. However, mind-sets are rapidly shifting and IP issues in life sciences are receiving increasing attention. To compete with progressive bio-based economies the developing countries are amending their IP laws to encourage investment. An effort has been made to avoid considering policy in isolation, but rather to emphasize the interplay between the policy mix, the wider institutional setting, market forces, and system organization solutions. Both empirical and conceptual chapters are included to bring them together and to yield facts and interpretations for the readers. This book presents expert opinions by frontier academicians, researchers, and attorneys on the recent challenges in the rapidly evolving life science industry. The present book offers comprehensive knowledge on the contemporary issues in life sciences to a wide range of audiences including students, scholars, researchers, legal practitioners, policymakers, and others interested in emerging intellectual property issues. Features The only compilation available on the contemporary intellectual property issues in life sciences in the post-COVID era. Focuses on the commercial, regulatory, bioethical, and socio-legal implications of patents in life sciences. Describes an integrated approach for sustained innovations in various areas of life sciences. Discusses the recent IP controversies in a pan-global context. Presents viewpoints to front-line practitioners, viz attorneys, researchers, etc.