Abstract

SIMON, James H.M.; CLAASSEN, Eric; CORREA, Carmen E.  and  OSTERHAUS, Albert D.M.E.. Managing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) intellectual property rights: the possible role of patent pooling. Bull World Health Organ [online]. 2005, vol.83, n.9, pp. 707-710. ISSN 0042-9686.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0042-96862005000900017.

Patent applications that incorporate the genomic sequence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, have been filed by a number of organizations. This is likely to result in a fragmentation of intellectual property (IP) rights which in turn may adversely affect the development of products, such as vaccines, to combat SARS. Placing these patent rights into a patent pool to be licensed on a non-exclusive basis may circumvent these difficulties and set a key precedent for the use of this form of mechanism in other areas of health care, leading to benefits to public health.

Keywords : SARS virus [genetics]; Severe acute respiratory syndrome [immunology]; Viral vaccines; Patents [legislation]; Licensure [legislation].