[torpfactory]

Especially for lifesaving medical patents. If the drug isn’t being produced, or the price is too high (I don’t know how this would be defined), governments should be empowered to seize the IP and solicit bids to produce the invention. We move heaven and earth to save lives in natural disasters, why do we move so slowly with certain medical conditions?

[umanwizard]

Then nobody would ever bother investing in new drug development.

A better model would be for the state to fund this research and have the results be public domain.

[donarb]

Unfortunately, this happens all the time, but not for the public good. Research universities use patent portfolios to increase their revenue by licensing inventions to companies that can manufacture the product.

For example in 2014 NYU earned $214M in IP licensing and nationally led the period from 2004-2010.

[rasz]

Not nobody, just purely for profit rent seekers.

[chimeracoder]

> Not nobody, just purely for profit rent seekers.

This is not an example of "rent-seeking behavior", which is a technical term with a specific meaning. It's not merely a synonym for "profit-maximizing behavior which I don't like".

[rasz]

I was thinking of situations like EpiPen, text book rent seeking.