Open Innovation in Medical Technology Will Save Lives

The Electric Frontier Foundation posted an article which noted that working in the open doesn’t mean a sacrifice in quality. Scientists know that the best way to understand a problem and create innovative solutions is through open collaboration. No one should have the veto power of copyright or patent law to prevent the sharing of knowledge about how to combat disease or build a life-saving device. Decisions about how to adjust medical devices in the field should be made by engineering and medical professionals, not the attorney who filed for a patent on it. Open innovation belies the idea that monopoly-based markets guide the best research decisions. Of course, research requires resources and skilled scientists. But a monopoly on the insights and innovations that research produces is far from the only way or the best way to encourage work that will improve—and even save—lives.

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