Is Compulsory Licensing a Panacea for COVID-19 woes

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the important role that scientists and pharmaceutical companies play in our everyday lives. Now more than ever, their production capacity, expertise and supply chain are key factors in determining the rate of inoculation and supply of other vital drugs to the general populace. With all the spotlight and pressure on the pharmaceutical companies, it was only natural that the issue of compulsory licensing was raised again in order to bypass Intellectual Property protections and to make the medicines and vaccines more affordable for people and governments alike. The demands do have some merit considering the recent cases of predatory pricing, alleged collusion and instances of controlling production to drive up prices. This short article, however, advocates against the usage of compulsory licensing regime as a tool in order to tackle the pandemic as it can have serious repercussions. It also suggests approaches that should be taken instead to better handle the current public health crisis at hand.