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Running Head: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Intellectual Property
BUSI 561
Discussion Board Forum 2
Jacqueline Andryc
4-17-2020
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Running Head: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Intellectual Property is considered any property that comes from creativity, intellectual
property can be more complicated than real property at times. Intellectual Property includes
intangible creations of the human mind. Four types of protection for intellectual Property are
trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets (Kubesek et. Al. 2020. Pp 173). During this
discussion forum response, aspects of Creator v. Consumer will be discussed and how to balance
the interests at stake.
How Should a for-profit corporation balance its business needs with the needs of its
customers?
“The Constitution authorizes congress to promote the Progress of science and useful Arts,
by securing for a limited time to authors and inventors the exclusive rights to their respected
writings and discoveries” (Kubesek et. Al. 2020. Pp 173). For-profit corporations exist to provide
a product to the community and to make a profit. Any for-profit corporation attempts to
maximize their profits as best they can, but ultimately the profit usually comes from the
consumers. Being able to find an equal and fair balance between the two is ideal but doesn’t
always happens. Copyrights and patents are set in place to help protect the For-profit companies,
to allow them to regain their losses and to make a profit. However, “copyrights and patents are
time-limited because of public interest requires that creative and innovative works ultimately
become free for all to use as a part of the public domain” (inforjustice.org, n.d.). Having the for-
profits covered for a limited time, gives them an opportunity to make a profit and return the
investment of their stockholders. After the protection period has ended, opening the technology
up for anyone to use, helps advance scientific research. Finding a balance during the protection
period, should be setting the price at a fair market value for the consumer, but still allow the
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Running Head: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
company to make profits and repay stockholders investments. Proverbs stays “If you find honey,
eat just enough too much of it, and you’ll vomit.” (Proverbs 25:16, NIV).
I believe it is important to protect your Intellectual Property, especially when it comes to
creativeness such as talents in areas of music, art and authors. Artist should be paid for their
creative talents and their ideas should be protected. I think protecting Intellectual Property when
it comes to pharmaceutical drugs, is important to only regain their companies loses and start to
make a profit, then I believe it should be opened up for anyone to use the technology to help
advance science and medicine. I think we would be able to cure more diseases and create new
medicines if they limited the length of the patents when it comes to scientific advancements and
medicines to treat patients with. Huge Pharmaceutical companies would not be able to
monopolize the market for as long as they have, and possible open up opportunities for smaller
companies to advance.
Lives depend on products created by some companies. Do these companies have a greater
responsibility to work towards benefitting the consumer more than themselves?
Several decades ago, consumers didn’t have much of a say when it came to issues over
medications. Doctors prescribed the medication and insurance usually covered the cost of it. In
Recent years, insurance is covering less and less of the cost and consumers are noticing the
difference (Forbes.com, 2018). Pharmaceutical companies should have a cap on how much of a
profit they make, some of their medications are life-saving drugs and it makes it difficult for the
patient who has to make a choice at the pharmacy whether or not they can afford to by the drug
for their child. Physicians have issues, when before they could prescribe whatever and insurances
would cover it, now they have to be careful on what and how they chose to treat their patients.
Insurances should help cover the cost, but ethically pharmaceutical company should be limited
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Running Head: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
by the government. In the chapter of Acts in says “In everything I did, I showed you that by this
kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said:
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35, NIV).
Look at the issue from a Biblical worldview. How would you respond if you were running
such a company?
“Biblical ethics is concerned with motives as well as action, with the process as well as
the outcome. The integrity of moral decisions rest on the use of biblical principles” (Christian
Medical & Dental Association, 2018). Romans reminds us to “Not conform to the pattern of this
world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2, NIV). If I was in
charge of running such a company as one in the pharmaceutical industry, I would attempt to
balance the needs of the company, stakeholders and patients. I would look at the cost of the
product and what the company needs to survive and try and determine a fair price for the value
of the medication. The IP of the company should still be protected during the period of regaining
the company’s loss, make a profit and repay stockholders, after we have reached a profitable
market, the information and technology should be released to the public for advancements in
science.
My main goal as the owner of the company would be to lead by example, setting the
standards high for other companies and industries to follow. I would be very transparent in
running my company with integrity and ethics in mind. I would lead with the mindset that
everything I have was given to me by God, “Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or
profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor” (Proverbs 28:8, NIV). I
would work towards using a portion of the company’s profits to give back to those in need.
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Running Head: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
REFERENCE PAGE:
Kubasek, N. K., Browne, M. N., Barkacs, L., Herron, D., & Dhooge, L. (2020). Biblical
worldview edition of dynamic business law (2nd ed.). N. J. Kippenhan (ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill Connect.
Inforjustice.org. (n.d.). Washington Declaration on intellectual property and the public interest.
Retrieved from: http://infojustice.org/washington-declaration-html
Forbes.com. (2018). How can the pharmaceutical industry be improved? Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/11/30/how-can-the-pharmaceutical-industry-be-
improved/#51078b759b9b
Christian Medical and Dental Association. (2018). CMDA Position Statements. Based on
scientific, moral and biblical principles. Retrieved from: https://cmda.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/05/CMDA-Position-Statements-18withrefer.pdf
Holy Bible, NIV
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