Elections Bernie Sanders: if I'm elected, US will halve domestic drug prices or we'll invalidate patents

[Madmick]

Who do you think spends the time and resources enforcing patent law? The drug companies are fleecing Americans in taxes through the burden they put on our court systems, and also at the pharmacy through absurdly high drug prices.

It's the same with the oil companies. They benefit greatly from our public resources and they still receive tax breaks and subsidies.

These types of companies should really receive a lot of flack from right and left libertarians. If they want the protection of the federal government they should have to pay for it by either lowering costs for Americans or through higher taxes.

The government enforces patent law because they are the only ones to do so. I'm sure the majority of patent lawsuits filed are reported to the government by the owners of the intellectual property themselves.

If Bernie said beastaility was bad there are legitimately right wingers out there who would vouch for dog fucking just because they have to disagree with everything he says

More of that enlightened, non-tribalist thinking from the guy who whines about people using blanketed insults.

 

[Trotsky]

This man is so lost on why patents are important in a competitive marketplace. We are struggling with intellectual property right now in a myriad of fields. Lets just create an even bigger problem where we can't have oversight. Brilliant.

Why do you believe the utility of patents are lost on....anyone? Also, what are you talking about in re forfeiting oversight?

Can someone explain how the government, on a whim, can just decide to invalidate a patent?

I’m not a lawyer, but

Patents are government restrictions on the marketplace and privileges given to market participants to ensure that they can recoup product investment with enough of a marginal profit to make such investment attractive. They are about incentivizing actions that are good for the public, not about hedging or amplifying the profits of legal entities. Your right ends at the recovery of investment. The Supreme Court has established by pretty firm implication that patents are not vested property rights.

Nevermind, you’re right. No IP, no patents, free market and cheap knockoffs for all

Yeah, that's not the argument or an argument.

What is your opinion?

I think that the research is in on the US patent system, particularly with regard to pharmaceuticals: they are grossly ham-handed in rewarding research costs, particularly for drugs that are derivative from a previously issued patent, and create monopoly revenue that usually far exceeds what is necessary or socially desirable. The Supreme Court has established that a patent is a government franchise, so I am perfectly comfortable using potential revocation to shore up a bargaining position similar to other countries that have negotiated down monopoly prices.

 

[bobgeese]

Why do you believe the utility of patents are lost on....anyone? Also, what are you talking about in re forfeiting oversight?



Patents are government restrictions on the marketplace and privileges given to market participants to ensure that they can recoup product investment with enough of a marginal profit to make such investment attractive. They are about incentivizing actions that are good for the public, not about hedging or amplifying the profits of legal entities. Your right ends at the recovery of investment. The Supreme Court has established by pretty firm implication that patents are not vested property rights.



Yeah, that's not the argument or an argument.



I think that the research is in on the US patent system, particularly with regard to pharmaceuticals: they are grossly ham-handed in rewarding research costs, particularly for drugs that are derivative from a previously issued patent, and create monopoly revenue that usually far exceeds what is necessary or socially desirable. The Supreme Court has established that a patent is a government franchise, so I am perfectly comfortable using potential revocation to shore up a bargaining position similar to other countries that have negotiated down monopoly prices.

https://michelsonip.com/government-made-easy-invalidate-patents/

If I’m reading this correctly, it seems they’re talking about patent infringement. I suspect an entirely different argument to be made with the government deciding to invalidate a patent on a whim.


Somehow, I doubt a conservative leaning Supreme Court is gonna be cool with that.

 

[bobgeese]

Lets see Presidents should not have the power to declare war for more then a period of time yet here we are with wars that have not been approved by congress, presidential actions that allowed for the placement of judges without Senate actions or even passing a law recently IE via emergency powers act that again needs congressional approval over boarder security,It does not seem like a pipe dream when weighting the extent of Presidential powers. Remember that Brazil and I forget a number of Countries have laws in place that allows the production of generic drugs if it deems it necessary.

Again, you are viewing politics through the lens of a child. What you want and hope means literally nothing.

Back in reality, lobbyists will literally invade Washington to ensure this goes nowhere.

Furthermore, a good chunk won’t even need to be lobbied, because they’re already bought and paid for by these drug giants.

 

[EradiatedHaggis]

Bernie has jumped the cliff called sanity.

If you dont do what I tell you as president, I will toss out our laws? Yeah, thats going to win an election...Trump will have a field day if Sanders opponents are too weak to defeat him with a golden ticket to defeating Sanders like this is.

 

[tinker_190]

Lol, typical socialist bullshit. The state just does whatever it wants

A) Socialist
B) removing government barriers to entry to free market production

Please choose one

 

[Mr Holmes]

I can't say it wouldn't be nice to see the big pharm gravy train come to an end.

 

[tinker_190]

I can't say it wouldn't be nice to see the big pharm gravy train come to an end.

I would like it too but I'm pretty sure they run the second or third strongest lobbying force in the US

 

[Loriquero]

I believe in a middle ground here. No "revising patents" or control prices, but patent duration times could be shorter for these kind of important shit.

 

[TheLinguist]

Bullshit, this man is banking on the youth but those informed will know it’s all smoke

 

[Ornife]

I can't say it wouldn't be nice to see the big pharm gravy train come to an end.

Threatening to reduce the profits of multinational pharmaceutical companies is anti-American.

All Americans have a God given right to be gouged.

 

[JSnake]

No you won't... you'll submit and bow down to the pharmaceutical companies once pushed with the slightest of pressure; just like with BLM at your own rally or when you sold out to the Clinton campaign and betrayed your supporters. Nothing more than a spineless ideologue; all words without action.

 

[all caps]

The fact that medicating ourselves with man made concoctions is a political talking point says alot about us.

 

[HockeyBjj]

Sounds a little like a Trumpian grandiose claim backed up by a threat, but no real way to actually accomplish the claim.

Has he ever elaborated on exactly how his administration will beget the lowering of drug and Healthcare prices?

Because switching from insurance system to single payer system merely moves the problem in my option. The problem is the insane up charging of hospitals and drug companies.

@Trotsky - serious question as I hunt for a Dem to primary vote for, has Bernie ever laid out a plan for how he would get drug companies to lower their prices? Or is this Trump like hollow threat (which can sound good on a campaign trail as a soundbite/headline) as far as he's gone for actual policy?

 

[ShadowRun]

He should give free new cars away

 

[franklinstower]

Good for Bernie. The states pay way more for drugs than everyone else in the world. We pay all the R and D and it should not be that way.

 

[Mr Holmes]

Threatening to reduce the profits of multinational pharmaceutical companies is anti-American.

All Americans have a God given right to be gouged.

Its American to hurt other countries so that we may have a better life. Currently American citizen are footing the bill for all the R&D costs while euro-trash reaps the benefits.

 

[curryjunkie]

Like using the military as PMC's for corporations?

Like handing farmers welfare because your tariffs have put them out of business?

Like giving an Islamic extremist regime nuclear technology?

Like recognizing the illegal annexation of land as legitimate?

Like staging another coup in Latin America?

Like appointing officials to position that they're wholly unqualified for?

 

[Trotsky]

@Trotsky - serious question as I hunt for a Dem to primary vote for, has Bernie ever laid out a plan for how he would get drug companies to lower their prices? Or is this Trump like hollow threat (which can sound good on a campaign trail as a soundbite/headline) as far as he's gone for actual policy?

I don't know enough about patent enforcement to say whether this specific rhetoric has teeth or is posturing for negotiation, but he's introduced several bills to cut pharmaceutical prices by easing restrictions on imports, allowing the federal government to negotiate prices, prohibit anti-competitive agreements between brand name manufacturers and generic manufacturers, and compel disclosure of research costs and pricing for foreign markets. They have been well-received by patient advocate groups.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ce-bill-to-lower-us-drug-prices-idUSKCN1P416L
https://www.policymed.com/2015/09/s...scription-drug-affordability-act-of-2015.html

 

[Confucamus]

Invalidating patents seems like an incredibly dangerous precedent to set. Is this a common thing?