An Open Letter to Humanity: Why We Must Abolish Patents
Dear Fellow Humans,
The time has come for us to take a hard look at the systems we have built, particularly those that were once intended to foster progress but have instead become barriers to it. One such system is the global patent framework. While patents were originally designed to encourage innovation by granting inventors temporary exclusive rights to their creations, they now serve corporate interests over the well-being of humanity. Patents have become instruments of control, hindering innovation, limiting access to critical technologies, and deepening global inequalities.
We must abolish patents if we are to create a world where knowledge and technology are freely accessible, where collaboration flourishes, and where the most pressing challenges facing humanity can be resolved collectively.
1. Patents Are Stifling Innovation
Patents, by their very nature, create monopolies. They restrict others from building upon new ideas, leading to stagnation rather than progress. In many industries, such as technology and pharmaceuticals, patents are used strategically to block competitors, resulting in “patent thickets” that entangle and obstruct advancements. Instead of freely sharing knowledge and building on each other’s work, companies spend time and money navigating these legal barriers—resources that could be better spent on research and development.
Even worse, some entities, known as “patent trolls,” use patents solely as a means to sue or threaten true innovators, further discouraging progress and innovation. Abolishing patents would break down these barriers, allowing ideas and technologies to evolve freely and rapidly.
2. Patents Limit Access to Life-Saving Technologies
Across the world, millions of people suffer needlessly because of patented medicines and technologies being kept out of reach due to exorbitant prices. Pharmaceutical companies and tech giants use patents as tools of control, prioritizing profit over human lives. Insulin, HIV treatments, and other life-saving drugs remain inaccessible to those who cannot afford them because patents grant the power to control prices and restrict production.
By abolishing patents, we open the door for generic manufacturers to produce these life-saving medicines at a fraction of the cost, ensuring that no one has to die because they cannot afford treatment. Humanity’s progress should never come at the cost of human lives—patents stand in the way of this fundamental truth.
3. Patents Perpetuate Inequality and Exploitation
Patents create a monopoly on knowledge, preventing others from accessing the information needed to develop new solutions or improve existing ones. By locking away knowledge for decades, patents perpetuate inequality—those who hold the rights profit, while those without access fall further behind.
In developing countries, where patented technologies could be the key to addressing poverty, improving agriculture, or solving environmental issues, patent holders prioritize profits in wealthy markets, leaving billions without the means to benefit from these innovations. We must abolish patents so that the knowledge required to solve global challenges is accessible to all.
Furthermore, the patent system is frequently abused through practices like biopiracy, where corporations patent natural resources or indigenous knowledge, stripping communities of their traditional rights and profiting from what should belong to everyone. Humanity must move beyond a system that commodifies and exploits shared heritage for profit.
4. Patents Create Waste and Inefficiency
The resources spent defending, attacking, and navigating patents are immense. Companies spend billions of dollars every year in legal battles rather than investing in real innovation. A world without patents would be one where these wasted resources could be redirected to solve real problems and accelerate progress.
By locking knowledge away, patents force others to duplicate efforts in order to develop similar solutions rather than building upon existing ones. This waste of time, energy, and materials slows humanity’s collective progress. By abolishing patents, we encourage an open-source approach that fosters collaboration, speeds up technological advancements, and efficiently uses resources for the benefit of all.
5. Alternatives: A Vision for an Open, Collaborative Future
Imagine a world where all knowledge and technology are freely available—where scientists, engineers, and innovators collaborate without the fear of legal battles or the constraints of intellectual property. Abolishing patents would enable this vision of an open, collaborative future.
- Open-Source Licensing: By using open-source licenses, we can allow anyone to freely use, modify, and share technologies. This encourages rapid development and widespread adoption of solutions that benefit everyone.
- Prizes for Innovation: Governments and organizations can incentivize innovation by offering prizes for specific solutions rather than granting patents. This way, inventors are rewarded, but the technology remains accessible to everyone.
- Public Funding for Research: Increasing public investment in research ensures that new knowledge and technology enter the public domain, where it belongs, benefiting all of humanity rather than a select few.
A Call to Action
Patents were intended to encourage innovation, but they have become obstacles to progress and fairness. They prioritize profit over the collective good, limit access to essential resources, and obstruct the collaboration needed to solve humanity’s most urgent challenges. We must abolish patents if we are to create a more equitable and innovative future.
By working together, sharing knowledge openly, and building upon each other’s successes, we can transform our world for the better. A patent-free future is not only possible—it is necessary for the survival and flourishing of humanity.
Let us tear down these barriers and unlock the true potential of human innovation, for the benefit of all.
In solidarity,
Shaostoul