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Letters to the Editor: Protecting vaccine makers’ ‘intellectual property’ as real people die is absurd

A nurse prepares a COVID-19 vaccine dose in Fontana on Feb. 2.
(Los Angeles Times)
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To the editor: Big Pharma insists that there be no waiver of intellectual property rights on “their” vaccines, although we taxpayers helped finance the research and testing of most of them. (“Biden administration supports waiving intellectual property rules on vaccines,” May 5)

If you think about it, “intellectual property” is actually in the hands of entities called corporations, which are willing to turn a profit at the expense of all of us.

If the coronavirus had a brain, it would be dancing. It certainly is having a heyday mutating away while these selfish, self-serving, greedy, shortsighted King Midases put their profits ahead of the health of all of us. It’s like humans are in the vise of zombies.

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There is nothing “intellectual” or rational about intellectual property if it means denying vaccines to people everywhere. Waive it for vaccines, world leaders, or we could all stand to perish.

Patricia Barry, Los Angeles

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To the editor: As the inventor or co-inventor of 55 patented processes and products — unfortunately, none of which are practiced or produced commercially — I object vigorously to the abrogation of our position when it comes to accepted patent practice.

The criticality of patents to the nation was confirmed by our founding fathers and represents the incentive for invention.

We are already mounting lawsuits against companies and nations that violate our patent position, notably China, in the current battle for economic supremacy. While we are finding it difficult to compete with China in many areas, our technological advantage has been key to our limited success.

Patents are the lifeblood of a nation.

Nelson Marans, New York

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