{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.014115092290988056, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.105960264900662, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Intellectual Property Rights and Medicines

This chapter focuses on intellectual property rights that are mostly relevant for companies dealing in medicinal products, reviewing both UK and EPO/EU law relating to patents and supplementary protection certificates. It explains that a patent is a state-granted monopoly right that confers the right to prevent others from carrying out certain acts in relation to an invention for a period of time and within a specified territory. It also points out that a patent represents a bargain between the state and the inventor. The chapter considers the patent as an extremely powerful asset for pharmaceutical companies as the grant of a monopoly right is justified in return for their time, expense, and risk in development. The chapter explores how a patent protects advances in technology, such as products, methods for making something, and specific uses in treating diseases.