This subject is about patent law as applied to biotechnology, medical and pharmaceutical applications. Although there is no true international patent system, various international intellectual property treaties and multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral free trade agreements will be examined. Issues such as patent office efficiency, variations in patentability standards and the impact of patent systems on the provision of medicines, diagnostics and therapeutics will be considered in detail. Students will expand upon their understanding of patent law by delving into its history with a view to understanding the true policy behind it and the geo-political ramifications with a specific emphasis on access to medicines. It will challenge popular misconceptions such as that patents are a necessary incentive for drug based research and development and demonstrate how free trade agreements are a contradiction.

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