MillionMilesAway
Well-Known Member
I asked about this very issue a couple of times last week but got no response.
I asked again in the Covid thread as I thought that the idea has merit and got a comprehensive reply from those knowing more about the industry than I.
Worth a read regarding how IP and patent works and how the Pharmaceutical companies make their money, if anyone is interested.
According to that, "Europe" hasn't done anything. Various people from various countries have offered an opinion on the subject. Italy appears to have passed something in their parliament to support a waiver, but it's a long way from happening, but much of those miniquotes are likely to be positioning for domestic purposes.
I don't know much about this part of patent law, but it seems a staggering step which would drive companies out of Europe, and I can't see it happening, or even really making any headway at all.
I'm not sure which patents would be in force that they could try such a 'waiver' on anyway, and even if they did, they'd still have to build new factories first to do so which costs a lot and takes time - as Altmeier said. Even then, a patent doesn't necessarily inform on how to build a plant, create the right mRNA to be made, make it, operate the factory - it just seems impractical. I think that it would be far more commercially sensible to just fund the building of the factories in exchange for a nice deal.