SciDev.Net

Intellectual property must be protected to encourage technical innovations in agriculture, says Javier Fernandez of CropLife Latin America.

A UNITAID patent pool could revolutionise HIV treatment and research in developing countries — if payment can be agreed, says Priya Shetty.

Compulsory licensing of clean technologies will only be needed if developed countries duck UNFCCC obligations, says Dalindyebo Shabalala.

Kenyans must use patents to protect their innovations and use local know-how to speed up discoveries, says a Business Daily Africa editorial.

GlaxoSmithKline plans to cut medicine prices and create a 'patent pool' — but does any of this reflect a real drive to boost the health of the poor?

China is making good progress on intellectual property rights, says chairman of the UK Intellectual Property Institute, Ian Harvey.

Films and television programmes about climate change should be made freely available beyond their initial broadcast, argues Nalaka Gunawardene.

A new law to increase university patenting in India needs more research and public debate before being enacted, says Shamnad Basheer.

For its own international credibility, Indian science must be seen to deal with scientific misconduct, says N. Raghuram.

With the worldwide growth of resistance, new antibiotics are increasingly needed. But R&D can be expensive and time-consuming, says James Love.

Muslim countries should harness the talents of their huge diaspora and support collaboration between their expatriate and local scientists, says Munir Nayfeh.

Thailand is right to take action when companies do not make essential drugs available and affordable, argue Paul Cawthorne and colleagues.

China must develop an innovation system that encourages knowledge flow, says Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

Drug companies seeking to promote research and development in poor nations should focus on innovation, not legislation, argues Angela Saini.

More should be done to strengthen ties between formal scientific research and informal grassroots innovations, says Anil Gupta.

A global strategy to tackle the diseases of the developing world must fully involve all countries, says an editorial in The Lancet.

A call for Africa to reject 'enslaving' Western technologies has provoked diverse reactions across the continent and beyond.

Kazhila Chinsembu says Africa risks being 'enslaved' by technology it doesn't own and urges African nations to regain control over their biological resources and indigenous knowledge.

Kenneth Tsang and colleagues say governments should compare available flu drugs and question the patents that limit their production.

Dave Chokshi says that universities should do more to foster work on diseases neglected by most research and development efforts.