Q: Has Dr. foci conducted himself in an unethical manner by receiving patents on medical inventions?
Fuci...sorry for misspelling
A:
I have seen this sort of question floating around. It is based on a misperception on how patents work. Lots of people get named on a patent as an inventor as that is required by the US Constitution. But that does not mean that the person owns the patent or gets any profits from the patent.
If you work for IBM and invent something, you will be named on the patent but IBM will own it unless IBM decides to sell the patent to some other entity.
There are people that don't like vaccines that have tried to make charges that Dr. Fauci is somehow self-dealing by promoting vaccines as he "owns" the patents used in making the vaccines.
I have not seen any credible news organization make any claims of bad faith or even profits going to Dr. Fauci.
I have certainly seen fact checking sites say that this is nonsense. The following story asserts that the few patents with Dr. Fauci as an inventor are for HIV and not related to COVID at all. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/12/jerome-corsi/conspiracy-theorist-spreads-false-claim-about-fauc/
There is a lot of nonsense out there. You did the right thing to make an effort to fact check this before disparaging Dr. Fauci on a false rumor.
Kevin E Flynn
Peter D. Mlynek agrees with this answer
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
