Book chapter
The Patent System, Assistive Technologies, and the Developing World
Accessible Technology and the Developing World
21 Oct 2021
Abstract
Although many assistive devices are created in advanced economies, the developing world has been responsible for numerous creative solutions. Despite this, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the clear majority of patenting activity in this field occurs in developed countries. Developing countries, which generate comparatively few issued patents, engage in significant innovation using forms of creativity that are not rewarded under the Global North’s patent standards. Developing nations can respond to this circumstance through a number of mechanisms. One is to modify the existing patentability standards to capture more types of creative endeavors. Such an approach should be considered thoughtfully, as the patent system has the potential for both positive and negative consequences for developing nations. Alternatively, nations can adopt other forms of incentives (such as grants or other rewards) to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for their domestic creators.
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Details
- Title
- The Patent System, Assistive Technologies, and the Developing World
- Creators
- Amy L Landers
- Publication Details
- Accessible Technology and the Developing World
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press; Oxford
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Thomas R. Kline School of Law
- Other Identifier
- 991021866428204721