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Patent Pools and Clearinghouses in the Life Sciences: Back to the Future

Publication date: 2017-01-01
Pages: 304 - 334
ISSN: 9781783479443
Publisher: Edward Elgar

Author:

Van Overwalle, Geertrui
Duncan, Matthews ; Herbert, Zech

Abstract:

The present chapter aims at re-visiting our former insights on the anti-commons effect in life sciences. First, we re-examine the patent proliferation phenomenon and related anti-commons problem by investigating the patent growth and re-assessing the existence of patent thickets in the life sciences (section 2). Second, and most importantly, we re-visit the collaborative license solution, by taking stock of new models and trends (section 3), and by carrying out an in-depth analysis of operative models (section 4). We close by summarizing lessons learned from the past, which might be meaningful for (re-)writing the future (section 5).