):
> > This is greed and should be "patently" and otherwise illegal.
> > There have been much worse instances. Millions have died,
> > especially in the third world because of some of the incidents.
> > There can be no moral/political justification of such results.
>
> I share you repugnance, but not because it's "greed"--that's a
> noble thing. It's wrong because they are trying to use violence,
> in the form of patent law, to enforce their monopoly.
>
From the drug companies (admittedly narrow) point of view the patent and other legal efforts *are* moral.
The company as an entity exists to make money for its shareholders. When they play out the legal charades to delay patent expiry the executives who form the company are only carrying out their contractual obligations to those shareholders.
As I see it the injustices will continue as long as the goals of the drug companies (and oil, tobacco, arms &c) are limited to acquiring money. If the corporate missions could be expanded to include some variant on "creating the greatest good for the greatest number" then licencing generics would become easier.
Unfortunately that would require not just reform of the patent and legal systems, but the capitalist system, and probably human nature as well - and that isnt happening till the singularity!
Malcolm.
--
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: Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:14:37 MST