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Optimal Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Humanitarian Assistance during and International Health Emergency

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  • Drusilla K. Brown
  • George Norman

Abstract

We analyze policy options during an international health emergency to provide consumers in least developed countries access to patented life-extending pharmaceuticals. We show that a properly specified tariff against reexports achieves optimal price dispersion and is shown to depend on the nature of demand, product development costs and humanitarian concerns by western citizens for patients inside a health emergency zone. A tariff dominates regional exhaustion for achieving optimal price dispersion, improves the efficiency properties of a patent for covering product development cost and is a more efficient tool for internalizing a humanitarian externality than a targeted consumption subsidy.

Suggested Citation

  • Drusilla K. Brown & George Norman, 2004. "Optimal Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Humanitarian Assistance during and International Health Emergency," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0416, Department of Economics, Tufts University.
    • Handle: RePEc:tuf:tuftec:0416
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intellectual Property Rights; AIDS; Developing Countries; WTO;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • L65 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Chemicals; Rubber; Drugs; Biotechnology; Plastics
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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