Patents missing from CBS coverage on Plumpy’nut
Finally caught up to Anderson Cooper’s report about Plumpy’nut, which aired on Sixty Minutes a little over a week ago. Besides intimating that Doctors Without Borders had invented Plumpy’nut (which it didn’t), the 11-minute CBS report completely neglected to mention that Plumpy’nut is patented. (Thanks to Josh for sending me the link.)
Okay, you say, CBS has produced a feel-good story that doesn’t have to be encyclopedic. But given the fact that Cooper says that there’s not enough Plumpy’nut to go around and ties the shortage to a lack of vision from food aid donors, you would think he might have at least mentioned other challenges, like negotiations over licensing and franchising rights stemming from the patent(s).
