Medical Patents and Innovation

According to Law.com, lawsuits over patented medical procedures and devices rise as medical patents surge.

The medical community is weary of the trend, noting that threats of patent infringement litigation could interfere with effective patient care. ... Aaron Kesselheim [a patent attorney and doctor from Boston] noted that a 1996 federal law prohibits method infringement lawsuits against doctors. But medical device makers can be sued for inducing infringement of a method by a doctor. And universities and companies are increasingly trying to impose restrictions on the use of their intellectual property. Snippet from Tresa Baldas of the National Law Journal

Mike Masnick of TechDirt writes Wish I Could Save Your Life, But That Kind Of Surgery Is Patented... Last year, IP Democracy had this to say about telemedicine and the broadband policy debate. Meanwhile, according to CNN, medical images are being sent on iPhones with OsiriX, which was "designed by radiologists for radiologists".