These Thickets Don't Grow in the Woods

In nature, thickets are dense growths of bushes and trees. Man-made versions – called patent thickets – are strategically constructed. They take deserved protections for original innovation to an inappropriate level. Patent thickets contribute to high drug prices. I have a collage on the topic included in The Illustrated Accordion, an open show at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center (KBAC). It runs from February 2-March 14, 2024 in the KBAC gallery, and online. 

​Curious about patent thickets? I highly recommend “Why Pharmaceutical Patent Thickets Are Unique” by Michael A. Carrier and S. Sean Tu. Their research paper explains the role different types of patent thickets play. It provides a helpful basis for understanding current legislative and FTC efforts. It is forthcoming in the Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal. As for the FTC, The Washington Post’s January 25, 2024 “The Health 202” newsletter segment by Elisabeth Rosenthal and McKenzie Beard points to how patent thickets are tangled in policy debates right now. 

“Drug Patent Thickets Start with Language,” 12-panel, mixed-media collage (laser print, plastic, currency, paper), 2024, 34 in. x 15.5 in (online in Gallery 2).