Patents on living organisms are morally objectionable to many. Patents derive from concepts of individual innovation and ownership, which may be foreign to cultures which emphasize the sharing of community resources and the free exchange of seeds and knowledge. Its usefulness is known throughout India. In 1993, over five hundred thousand South Indian farmers rallied to protest foreign patents on plants such as the neem, and launched a nation-wide resistance movement. Important drugs and vaccines have been produced and successfully distributed in the absence of patents, such as a recent vaccine for malaria and the Salk polio vaccine.
Patents serve the interests of the investors who are looking for rapid return on their investment.
The interests of those in need of medicines are often not of primary importance. Both India and Brazil prohibit the patenting of pharmaceuticals and food crops. As a result, quality products are available to everyone at a more affordable price. Patents were not originally intended to create monopolies, but rather to allow innovative individuals to make a living from their work. However, if this form of monopoly was ever deemed to be contrary to public interest, the patent would not be granted.