Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzwaryn
Why should I Create and Produce if the end result is some pirate coming along and Taking it away from me?
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Because developing something for the betterment of humanity is the right thing to do?
An example: I work on porting software for the iLiad. I don't expect (or accept) any payment or compensation for the hours I put into it. I do it because the work I do benefits others. This is the whole premise behind the open source movement. There are
many other people in the world that do this on a much bigger scale than me. They do it in their spare time, or find other ways to be compensated financially (charging for support, customization, "enterprise" features, etc). Those who can pay, do. Those who can't, get the product for free.
Why can't this be the same for medical purposes? The dying people in poor countries can't afford, and wouldn't be able to purchase the medication at it's market value. If someone else can produce the medication at a lower cost, and save lives, why shouldn't they? The original company looses nothing, as the people would have never been able to afford their product, and would have simply died without it.