The globalisation of intellectual property rights: four learned lessons and four theses

Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) have become ubiquitous in the current debate and have emerged as the key issue of global innovation policy. The ‘Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights’ (TRIPS) Agreement, signed in 1994 as a founding element of the World Trade Organisation, represents the most important attempt to establish a global harmonisation of Intellectual Property protection. The aim of this article is to re-examine critically what has become the common wisdom around IPRs, TRIPS and their effects. We argue that supporters of IPRs in western corporations and governments as well as detractors in global movements and developing countries have overestimated their importance in the process of generation and diffusion of knowledge and innovation. On the basis of some key learned lessons on the nature of innovation and technological change, we assess four theses about TRIPS and its impact on the global generation and distribution of knowledge. Finally, the policy implications concerning international organisations and technological transfer are discussedglobalisation of IPRs, innovation, technological transfer

Statin use and survival in resectable pancreatic cancer: confounders and mechanisms.

A first point regards the possible activity of drugs other than statins, such as aspirin or metformin, against pancreatic cancer. As many patients use a combination of these drugs, one might speculate that the association between simvastatin and overall survival in resected pancreatic cancer patients might also be explained by the concomitant use of aspirin or metformin, or that these drugs might result synergistic, as hypothesized for colorectal cancer (3). We wonder whether the authors had access to data on aspirin or metformin use for their population. A second point regards the very high 45% rate of simvastatin or lovastatin users reported by the authors. This figure is different from that of many European countries, thus possibly limiting the attributable fraction of cases for whom the observed findings can be replicated

How to diagnose democratic deficits in global politics: the use of the “all affected principle"

Is there a “democratic deficit” in global politics? If so, which changes in institutions and practices can mitigate it? Empirically oriented scholars who ask such questions often use as a yardstick the normative principle that people significantly affected by a decision should be able to take part in reaching that decision. This “all affected principle” is also endorsed by prominent political theorists. However, its most logically consistent interpretation seems so demanding that it casts doubt on the principle’s usefulness to guide the assessment of real-world situations, since it appears to require that virtually everyone in the world should have a say on any proposal or any proposal for proposals. The argument presented here intends to rescue the principle as a tool for empirical assessments of real-world situations by stressing its role in comparative judgements and especially by showing that its implications are not too expansive and/or indeterminate, once we take into account that certain types of prior decisions significantly restrict the agenda of other decisions in a systematic way. The theoretical guidance for empirical research offered in the first part of the article is then illustrated with an application to global child labor policies

Il trasporto container:la scelta delle rotte

L’avvento del container ha trasformato il mondo della logistica e del trasporto delle merci, introducendo il principio dell’intermodalità. Il trasporto unitizzato è infatti il risultato di un insieme di relazioni tra terminali, reti di traffico e domanda di movimento merci, in uno spazio geografico ormai globale. Le compagnie di navigazione ricercano il tragitto che minimizzi tempi e costi e che soddisfi quindi nel modo ottimale le esigenze dei caricatori. La scelta delle rotte e l’organizzazione del servizio sono influenzate da diversi elementi che tendono a modificarsi nel tempo al variare dei costi dei fattori produttivi, delle situazioni congiunturali e del progresso tecnologico. Il trasporto unitizzato è controllato da poche grandi compagnie che agiscono su scala mondiale. Le navi, di dimensioni sempre maggiori, viaggiano tra porti che non sono quasi mai i luoghi di origine o di destinazione delle merci. Decidendo dove farle transitare, le compagnie hanno il potere di decretare il successo o la rovina di un porto. L’obbiettivo del lavoro è analizzare i criteri che condizionano la scelta delle rotte, e l’organizzazione del network marittimo. Il tema è di grande interesse non soltanto per le imprese, ma anche per la pianificazione delle reti di trasporto e per la valutazione delle politiche di intervento infrastrutturale e organizzativo.

Innovation in Times of Crisis: The Uneven Effects of the Economic Downturn across Europe

This article addresses the impact of the current economic downturn on innovation across Europe. Using micro and macro data we investigate to what extent some characteristics of a country affect the reaction of its firms in terms of innovation investment. It emerges that the effects of the economic downturn in terms of firms’ innovation investment are not the same across European countries. The competences and quality of the human resources, the specialization in the hi-technology sector together with the depth of the financial system seem to be the structural factors which are able to offset the effect of the economic downturn on innovation investments of firms across Europe. Finally, some considerations about policies during the crisis are discussed.innovation investment, business cycles, national innovation systems, European Innovation Policy, financial crisis

The use of complementary and alternative medicine is frequent in patients with pancreatic disorder

BACKGROUND: Herbal remedies and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are used by 30% of the patients with liver and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, there are no data regarding CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders, including potential pancreatotoxicity. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders and screen for pancreatotoxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey of consecutive outpatients seen at a Pancreas Center. Data were collected in a specific questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the prevalence and the patterns of CAM use. Characteristics associated with CAM use were analyzed by appropriate statistics. RESULTS: Of 108 patients (52% male; mean age, 65±13 years), 47 (43.5%) used CAM. The use of CAM was more frequent among patients with previous acute pancreatitis (47%). Reported reasons for the use of CAM were to help standard therapies and for an overall better feeling. About 61% of the patients reported advantages with treatment. As compared with nonusers, CAM users were more often female (55% vs. 42%), with a higher school degree (43% vs. 36%), more frequently performing physical activity (51% vs. 41%), and reporting anxiety (45% vs. 31%). However, none of these differences were statistically significant. Three patients with previous acute pancreatitis reported the use of Serenoa repens that is potentially pancreatotoxic. DISCUSSION: The rate of CAM use in patients with pancreatic disorders is similar to those reported for other digestive diseases. CAM use seems to be more frequent in women with a higher education level and a "healthier lifestyle." Patients might not be aware of the potential pancreatotoxicity of CAM, which should be carefully considered by physician

The retreat of public research and its adverse consequences on innovation

In the last decades a major trend has been ignored: both the quota of public R&D and its share over the total R&D investment has shrunk in most OECD countries. As a result, a larger fraction of knowledge is today generated in the private sector. We argue that this is a major problem since public research and private research differ along a number of characteristics. This has implications for innovation and welfare. Through the lens of the public goods theory and the evolution of R&D for the period 1981-2012 we try to explain why