Towards Better Balanced IPRs: Improving Access to Health through Better Access to Education

Abstract

This is an excerpt from a larger work on biotechnology patents and access to healthcare looking to provide an alternative, rather indirect solution that might improve the whole IPRs environment and ease the longstanding strife between access to health and patent protection. This paper argues that increase of the overall standard in developing and least developed countries through provision of better education, in turn, supported by IPRs resources, can contribute to better access to healthcare and novel patented medicines. For this purpose, an analytical method is used going through various approaches to IPRs ranging from public-private interests, information and patents, individualism and IPRs as well as looking into the concept of knowledge economy. Human rights, albeit the common battleground, deserve their rightful place in this paper, however, they are not directly addressed to leave room for the other aspects mentioned. It concludes with the findings that IPRs contribution to education might be beneficial for both IPRs holders and the general society. This article derives from a doctoral dissertation “Biotechnology Patent Protection in the Information Era” to be defended in the spring term of 2022-2023 at the Istanbul Commerce University (Istanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi).