The Eminence of Imminence and the Myopia of Markets

Authors

Teneille R. Brown, S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of UtahFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-8826-438X

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

This article questions the privileging of disaster, or imminent threat, over more distant threats to public health. In many cases, this privileging makes sense as we do not have time to evaluate the threat under traditional frameworks. But in some cases, we privilege disaster in ways that may be ethically and legally unsound. Here I am interested in a particular type of public health threat – the negative consequences that stem from climate change. In this article I view the climate change discussion through the lens of distributive justice. I analyze the ethical as well as legal arguments for encouraging clean technology patent-holders to share their know-how and devices at a discounted rate with people in the developing world.

Recommended Citation

Teneille R. Brown, The Eminence of Imminence and the Myopia of Markets, 9 J. MARSHALL REV. INTELL. PROP. L. 674 (2010).