Beckerman-Rodau Andrew
Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA, USA.
Columbia Sci Technol Law Rev. 2003;4:E1.
This article addresses the contemporary issue of balancing the need for patent protection for intellectual property with the resulting restriction of public access to new technology. The author argues that patent law protects private property rights rather than creating monopolies. Additionally, the author discusses how restricting access to patented technology, such as pharmaceuticals, can affect public health problems, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing nations. The author then concludes with some proposals for making patented technology available to people in developing nations who need access to such technology but who are unable to afford its high costs due to patent protection.
本文探讨了一个当代问题，即如何在保护知识产权所需的专利保护与由此导致的公众获取新技术受限之间取得平衡。作者认为，专利法保护的是私有财产权，而非制造垄断。此外，作者还讨论了限制获取专利技术（如药品）会如何影响公共卫生问题，例如发展中国家的艾滋病毒/艾滋病疫情。作者随后提出了一些建议，以使专利技术能够提供给发展中国家那些需要此类技术但因专利保护而无力承担其高昂成本的人们。
