The patent system takes a lot of heat.  It gets criticised (rightly) for the ludicrous patents that are granted – on crimped sandwiches, say, or methods of swinging on a swing. It is assailed (rightly) when patents are extended to cover the most abstract subject matter – algorithms and business methods – despite the evidence this will hurt innovation.  It even gets brickbats when patents are handed out over gene sequences, or improved versions of traditional natural insecticides. 

There is one criticism, though, that cannot fairly be levelled against the patent system or the drug companies who depend on that system:  that it is their fault there is not enough research into the diseases of the global poor.