Copyright

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- What is the difference between a patent and a copyright? A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted to an inventor for a defined period of time. These rights are given in exchange of the public disclosure of the invention. It is something you apply for when you create something that is physical such as a product or a process. Concretely, it can be a technological object, a new drug, etc. Copyright, on the other hand, is something that deals with intellectual property and is applied right after the creation. It usually refers to something inside of the arts realm such as a novel, a song, a photography, etc. The fact that you do not have to register for a copyright means that even someday who writes a song in his basement has his intellectual property automatically copyrighted. - When did patents first come to exist? What was their original purpose? Patent is something that first came during Italy's Renaissance era. Originally patent was created as a way to attract skilled people in certain cities of the country. The idea was to give people the exclusive right when they created something. The reward was that they would be the only one exploiting that skill or idea in the region. And when you are in a position of monopoly, this usually means more business and profits. Therefore, these skilled geniuses were more inclined to come to a place when they knew that their efforts would be entirely protected and fully rewarded. This was a great plan to attract innovative people while developing the economy of the city. The whole idea behind copyright was to encourage people to be more creative. If you are gifted and you intellectually produce something, you will receive all the benefits from your creativity and the money y... ... middle of paper ... ...out listening to someone’s music. It is however another thing to prevent sick people from getting the care they need on the basis of copyright infringement. When we are talking about someone’s existence, is it right to keep the money aspect a priority? You see pharmaceutical companies doing everything they can to extend their patent so their drugs do not fall into the public domain. They can, for example, slightly change the drug and stick a new name on it and they are good to go for another several years. They are not even obligated to prove that the new drug is better. If you prove that your product works, it automatically qualifies for a new patent. Some countries decided to go against corporations’ patents and defend themselves saying that it was for humanitarian reasons. It is more important to save lives than to pay for excessively priced drugs. (…)

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