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The Negative Impact of Intellectual Property Protection on Vaccine Accessibility

Data publikacji: 17.06.2026

Copernican Journal of Law, 2026, No. 4 (1/2026), s. 17-31

https://doi.org/10.4467/30718481CJL.26.003.23653

Autorzy

Tamta Kenia
Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University
, Gruzja
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0226-0247 Orcid
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Wszystkie publikacje autora →

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Tytuły

The Negative Impact of Intellectual Property Protection on Vaccine Accessibility

Abstrakt

This article examines the tension between intellectual property protection and vaccine accessibility, demonstrating how patent law and trade secret regimes impede equitable access to vaccines as global public goods. Through analysis of international legal frameworks and recent pandemic case studies (Ebola, Zika, COVID-19), the research reveals that stringent IP protections create monopolistic pricing, suppress competition, and enable concealment of critical health information. While acknowledging patents’ role in incentivizing innovation, the article argues that uniform twenty-year patent terms and indefinite trade secret protection contradict vaccines’ essential social function. The study proposes reforms including investment-proportional patent durations, excluding vaccines from trade secret protection, implementing price controls, and establishing state subsidy programs. The article concludes that balancing innovation incentives with universal health access requires reconceptualizing vaccines as social goods requiring specialized legal regimes that prioritize fundamental human rights over commercial interests.

Bibliografia

Pobierz bibliografię

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Informacje

Informacje: Copernican Journal of Law, 2026, No. 4 (1/2026), s. 17-31

Typ artykułu: Oryginalny artykuł naukowy

Autorzy

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0226-0247

Tamta Kenia
Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University
, Gruzja
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0226-0247 Orcid
Kontakt z autorem
Wszystkie publikacje autora →

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University
Gruzja
ROR ID:

 Ikona Research Organization Registry 01pnsd879

Publikacja: 17.06.2026

Status artykułu: Otwarte __T_UNLOCK

Licencja: CC BY-ND 4.0  ikona licencji

Udział procentowy autorów:

Tamta Kenia (Autor) - 100%

Korekty artykułu:

-

Języki publikacji:

Angielski

The Negative Impact of Intellectual Property Protection on Vaccine Accessibility

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