John Barton (1936–2009)

August 04, 2009

John Barton, the George E. Osborne Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Stanford Law School, passed away yesterday.There is an enormous shortage of clear-minded and pragmatic thinkers on intellectual property, trade, and development; the population of those as brilliant and decent as John was unfortunately singular. The world is a poorer place for his passing, but he leaves behind a legacy of scholarship and service that will be of abiding benefit to many. Among his more recent efforts:

On intellectual property and development
On climate change, intellectual property, and technology transfer here and here
On access to medicines and international pharmaceutical pricing here and here
On competition law, intellectual property, and development

As importantly, John also leaves behind his many former students, like me, whose interests, careers, and lives have been much shaped by his 40 years of teaching and mentorship. My heart goes out to the Barton family and the Stanford Law School community in general.

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