Day: April 2, 2020

Coronavirus crisis may bring out old tool in disease fights: suspension of drug patents

wayne April 2, 2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the coronavirus as the greatest challenge facing her country since the end of World War II. Germany’s parliament took that message to heart as part of a package to fight the virus, extending powers to suspend patent rights, a tool last used in the country in 1949.

Governments around the world are reviving rarely used legislation or pledging new measures to ensure that they have the drugs they need to battle the pandemic. Israel last month invoked an emergency patent-suspension clause in its 1967 code for the first time, allowing it to import a generic version of AbbVie Inc.’s Kaletra, which has shown signs of combating coronavirus.

In the U.K., so-called Crown Use rules allow the government to suspend protections it would normally grant a patent holder. Those have been used just a handful of times since 1945, but that could change.

“If there is a drug supply shortage, governments aren’t going to be squeamish about ordering companies to do what they think is necessary,” said James Tumbridge, a lawyer with Venner Shipley in London. In wartime Britain, companies were provided a measure of fair compensation for their rights.

“I can see there being …

One Way to Start a Lucrative Career From Home That Could Pay $50,000 in a Day

wayne April 2, 2020

COVID-19 has given us the perfect time to learn a skill or launch a new career.


5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


This article was written by Mike Peters, founder of the Yomali group of companies, XPRIZE Foundation board member, and an Advisor in The Oracles.

We’re in the midst of a difficult time in history. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a health crisis, and both the economy and jobs are suffering as a result.

While many of us can work from home, others cannot. But if a silver lining exists, perhaps it’s this: Now is the perfect time to learn a skill or launch a new career. Affiliate marketing gives you that opportunity.

So I spoke with Anna Gita, CEO of MaxWeb, our affiliate marketing network. Here she explains how to start a potentially lucrative career by working from home as an affiliate marketer.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketers are “traffic partners” who help online companies get customers and are paid a commission for every sale they send to a brand’s website. You can work with big brands like Victoria’s Secret and small brands that sell

…

Restaurants and bars hope relaxed alcohol takeout regulations will help business during coronavirus shutdown

wayne April 2, 2020

Subscribe to Fortune’s Outbreak newsletter for a daily roundup of stories on the coronavirus and its impact on global business.

As more cities mandate the closure of restaurants and bars in response to the current coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant industry stands to lose $225 billion in sales over the next three months, according to the National Restaurant Association. However, many operators hope new relaxed laws around alcohol sales will provide a much-needed lifeline to their businesses.

In mid-March, local and state officials in California and New York announced restaurants and bars could start selling wine, beer, and cocktails for takeout and delivery. Businesses could deliver goods themselves, employ a third-party platform, or provide takeout for guests willing to pick it up. The new measure is meant to provide a bit of cushioning for these establishments as all seating and dining rooms have been forced to close. It was a rapid shift—and a giant learning curve—for many businesses that closed in-room operations in order to help “flatten the curve” of COVID-19.

However, the loosened regulations aren’t as simple as just adding a cocktail to a mobile app menu. Restrictions still vary by state, and operators find themselves combing through knotty …

CEOs are slashing their executive pay to make a ‘visible personal sacrifice’

wayne April 2, 2020

Good morning.

This is Katherine, filling in for Alan from London.

Yesterday, my colleague Emma Hinchliffe wrote about CEOs slashing their pay—usually to zero—in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

The CEOs that have gone first, she points out, are ones that lead companies that have taken a direct, and early, economic hit—businesses, like tourism and hospitality, that have had to lay off or furlough hundreds of thousands of employees. Marriott, for example, and Hyatt. (If you missed CEO Mark Hoplamazian speaking to Fortune‘s Susie Gharib about this earlier this week, that interview is here.)

But companies that rely on staff or contractors putting themselves at particular risk—Lyft, for example—or those that work in media and entertainment—like Disney—have also been early movers, as have those that may seek government help.

The question of whether it makes a difference is a thornier one. Most executive pay comes in the form of stock options, so dropping a base salary may not require an executive to take a lasting financial hit. And in most large companies, even the CEO’s salary won’t make much difference in plugging the gap caused by the fall-out from coronavirus.

But sometimes optics aren’t just, well, optics. …

Are growth or value stocks performing better in this market? The answer may surprise you

wayne April 2, 2020

The stock market may have just had its worst quarter in 33 years, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t pockets of the market where investors can insulate themselves from all the damage.

The age-old debate between growth stocks and value stocks, for instance, is one area in which investors may be able to find some solace. According to equity investment firm Alger Management, the disparity between the two categories has grown markedly since the beginning of this year—with growth stocks coming out on top.

As Alger notes, the Russell 1000 Growth Index has outperformed both the Russell 1000 Value Index and the S&P 500 since the end of last year, with that divergence becoming more pronounced since the stock market began its coronavirus-related swan dive in mid-February. While having still fallen steeply, the growth index has lost only 18% this year to date, compared to a 31% drop in the value index and a 24% decline for the S&P 500.

Growth stock indices have outperformed both value stocks indices and the S&P 500 since the start of the year. Credit: Alger

The investment manager points to a few factors behind the dichotomy, such as the impact of lower interest …

Boeing expected to announce voluntary buyouts in message to all 161,000 employees

wayne April 2, 2020

Boeing Co. is expected to announce voluntary buyouts in a message to its 161,000 employees on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the plans.

No details were available for the size of the workforce reductions or areas in the company where they might occur, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the matter is confidential.

Boeing and Airbus SE face a sharp contraction in demand as airlines around the world pare schedules and park planes as the coronavirus pandemic curbs travel. About 44% of the global aircraft fleet is in storage, according to an estimate by Cirium.

Chicago-based Boeing, already reeling from a prolonged grounding of its 737 Max, faces a falloff in demand for twin-aisle aircraft like its 787 Dreamliner and 777X. Wide-body jetliner production could tumble by 60% over the next three years, Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu predicted in a March 31 report.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the voluntary buyouts at Boeing. A Boeing representative in Asia couldn’t immediately comment.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Everything you need to know about the coronavirus stimulus checks
—How small-business owners and the self-employed can take advantage of the coronavirus stimulus package
—USPS …