Intellectual Property Rights and Access in Crisis.

The importance of access to intellectual property rights (IPR) protected subject-matter in two crucial areas - public health, and educational and cultural engagement - has been extensively demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although they involve separate legal areas, patent and copyright, the common thread linking the two is intellectual property's difficult relationship with access in the public interest. This paper examines the tensions caused by access barriers, the tools used to reduce them and their effectiveness.