Intellectual Property history

A brief history of the patent system Patent law has its roots in the Italian Renaissance and has evolved throughout history.

This resource is free and is included with the course Intellectual Property Online.

Today’s patent system is praised as providing a clear incentive for engaging in vigorous R&D of new products, including medical inventions. At the same time, the system is also criticized for facilitating the high price of many medicines. This leads to the question of whether we should keep the current patent system or modify the system in order to minimize the negative effects?

Part of the course Intellectual Property

Obtaining a patent is a crucial step to safeguard the intellectual property of a novel biomedical intervention and to raise funding for its development. This course discusses the pros and cons of intellectual property and the do’s and don’ts to protect your biomedical invention in a timely manner.

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Your teacher

Bruno Vandermeulen