British patent laws were heavily skewed to the benefit of the wealthy, with patent fees levied at 10 times the annual income of the average British citizen.

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British Airways, which has a patent on the yin yang pattern, doesn't think direct aisle access is a major issue for most travelers, said Simon Talling-Smith, BA's executive vice president for the Americas.

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Lando, an executive vice president at BTG, a British company that, along with the large consulting companies and law firms, is a longtime player in the patent-management business.

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Shares in Zeneca, the British firm that makes the drug, initially rose but then fell when it became clear that Zeneca's patent on the drug has already run out in Europe and runs out in America in 2002.

ECONOMIST: Breathtaking