Patents
Coca-Cola's Research Contracts Allowed It to Kill Unfavorable Studies
A new study finds the industry giant was frequently given the right to oversee and even terminate public-sector research.
PepsiCo Tells Farmers: 'Join Us or Grow Other Potatoes'
How plant patents work in the U.S. and India.
The Future of Work: Innovate in India
The latest entry in a special project in which business and labor leaders, social scientists, technology visionaries, activists, and journalists weigh in on the most consequential changes in the workplace.
Global Innovation Is Facing a Slowdown for the Best Possible Reason
A new report shows that our passion for cutting-edge technology may be (slightly) waning—and innovators are pivoting to areas where they can truly make an impact.
The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, as Told Through Its Patents
The patents track the store's shift from selling gear to selling an image and lifestyle, a strategy that's common to many modern apparel brands.
Where's the Generic Insulin?
Researchers at the University of Toronto filed the first patent for insulin therapy 92 years ago. Today, there's still no lower-cost generic.
What Will 2025 Look Like?
If modern research trends continue, this is what some experts say the future holds.
Supreme Court Rules Unanimously That Human Genes Cannot Be Patented
But some questions still remain unanswered.
Are Professors Picking the Public's Pockets?
High-flying professor Tatsuya Suda's double-billing antics highlight the loose controls on the off-campus earnings of research university academics.
Breast Cancer Court Case Pits Patients' Genes vs. Gene Patents
A court case surrounding gene patents for high-risk forms of breast cancer puts two viewpoints of "products of nature" on the stand.
Campus Research Back to Basics
The author of a new paper on the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 finds that the legislation has not caused the decline in basic research that many had feared.