Compulsory licensing for bridging the gap - treatment access in developing countries: interview with James Love, Consumer Project on Technology. Interview by John S. James.

: AIDS and HIV medications are so expensive that many developing countries cannot afford to provide them to their citizens. Countries, such as Thailand, have the facilities to manufacture the drugs at a fraction of the U.S. cost. However, the U.S. Government has used its economic powers to pressure Thailand into changing its patent laws to prohibit manufacturing of copies of U.S. drugs, calling the drug formulas intellectual property. Governments can allow the sale of drugs on a nonprofit basis with manufacturers receiving royalties. The pharmaceutical industry is in opposition, fearing the weakening of intellectual-property protection. The issues and potential solutions are described.