Patent Incentives, Technology Markets, and Public–Private Bio-Medical Innovation Networks in Brazil

SummaryContested is whether patent laws promote indigenous technology invention and innovation in developing countries. Brazil reformed its patent laws in 1996 to permit pharmaceutical product patents. Study of five post-patent law reform bio-medical technology invention and innovation projects in the state of Sao Paulo supports the propositions that patents provide incentives to Brazilian bio-medical technology entrepreneurs to make risky investments into innovation and that patents facilitate technology markets among public–private technology innovation networks, both Brazilian collaborations and North–South collaborations. Brazil enacted a technology law in 2005 that encourages public–private technology innovation through patent incentives and patent-facilitated technology markets.