發明與發明人的義務

The Duty to Invent and the Duties of Inventors

美國產品責任法發展的歷史呈現出波浪一樣的起伏狀態。發明人有特別義務去跟蹤其所發明的產品的效果、優勢與劣勢，醫療產品和藥物的生產者尤其應該如此；同時應當告知消費者及病患風險與效用，使之能夠在知情同意的基礎上作出選擇。

The history of the development of the American product liability law looks like a wave, not a straight line up, nor a straight line down. A inventor has a special responsibility to trace the effect, advantage and disadvantage of his invention, especially for drugs and medical devices. Besides, the inventor should inform customs and patients of risk and utility so as to let them make choice based on informed consent.