Sir, – Nobody in their right mind would bet on a runner in the Grand National in the knowledge that any winnings were likely to be confiscated. So why do some people think that vaccine companies would, or should, behave differently?
Those who advocate suspending the intellectual property rights of Covid-19 vaccine producers need to understand the likely consequences. Where will the vaccines for emerging resistant variants or the next dangerous virus come from? Will any rational company invest significant resources on the risky search for a viable vaccine in the expectation that success will likely see their property confiscated.
Aesop understood the issue in his fable about the golden goose. This explained the catastrophic consequences of a short-sighted raid on an invaluable long-term asset. It is a pity that those among the great and good who advocate a raid on patent rights lack Aesop’s understanding of the likely real-world consequences. – Yours, etc,
HUGH O’CONNOR,
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Douglas,
Cork.