Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-27-2018
Abstract
Twenty years after Heller and Eisenberg predicted the emergence of an anticommons in biomedical research, this article assesses the currency of the anticommons theory. While a patent-fueled research anticommons does not appear to have emerged in the ways that Heller and Eisenberg envisioned, there are new ways in which the fragmentation of rights -- whether through trade secrecy, narrow licensing or data propertization -- continues to threaten research and commercial development. The anticommons theory thus remains as relevant today as it was when it was first proposed.
Recommended Citation
Contreras, Jorge L., The Anticommons at Twenty: Concerns for Research Continue Science 361(6400): 335-337 (Jul. 27, 2018)