Covid-19: Should intellectual property rights be challenged?

Etienne BILLETTE DE VILLEMEUR
Université de Lille, France.
Vianney DEQUIEDT
Scientific Director, FERDI
Professor of Economics at the School of Economics, CERDI, Université Clermont Auvergne,
Head of Training at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development (IHEDD–FERDI)
Scientific and Technical Director, Labex IDGM+
Bruno VERSAEVEL
Emlyon Business School, France.

CategoryPolicy briefs
Published on01 April 2021
PublishersFERDI

This policy brief highlights the value of intellectual property pooling instruments such as the Medicines Patent Pool for the management of the Covid-19 health crisis by the international community. As an alternative between the suspension of intellectual property and bilateral cooperation agreements between firms, patent pools present advantages for both public health and the pharmaceutical industry alike.

Read

Citation

Billette de Villemeur E., Dequiedt V., Versaevel B. (2021) Covid-19: Should intellectual property rights be challenged? FERDI Policy Brief B216

Programs

Human Development and Capital
- Indirect Effects of COVID-19 in Africa

Publications
All publications

The Medicines Patent Pool is improving access to essential medication where it’s most needed, but does it make economic sense?
By Etienne BILLETTE DE VILLEMEUR, Vianney DEQUIEDT, Bruno VERSAEVELArticle de blog sur The Conversation
August 16, 2026
The public health impact of the Medicines Patent Pool increases with the fragmentation of intellectual property rights
By Etienne BILLETTE DE VILLEMEUR, Vianney DEQUIEDT, Bruno VERSAEVELNature Biotechnology, vol. 44, p. 901-904
June 16, 2026
- Health
Better than a compromise, a third route: Using patent pools to accelerate access to vaccines and treatments against COVID-19
By Etienne BILLETTE DE VILLEMEUR, Vianney DEQUIEDT, Bruno VERSAEVELRevue d’économie du développement, vol. 29(1), pp. 17-42.
June 30, 2022
- Covid-19
- Coronavirus
Contribution of FERDI to the Summit on Financing African Economies and on the Covid-19 vaccine discussions
By Patrick GUILLAUMONT
May 02, 2021
- Summit on Financing African Economies
Intellectual property and Covid-19: how can we accelerate vaccination globally?
By Etienne BILLETTE DE VILLEMEUR, Vianney DEQUIEDT, Bruno VERSAEVEL
April 27, 2021

Blogs

Intellectual property and Covid-19: how can we accelerate vaccination globally?
theconversation.com
April 20, 2021

Press review

Vaccins contre le Covid : la suspension des brevets en dix questions
lesechos.fr
May 07, 2021
Vaccins contre le Covid-19 : enquête sur la bataille homérique autour des brevets
lesechos.fr
May 06, 2021