Who Owns knowledge in an impending pandemic

Here is an interesting politcal issue developing around the bird flu that Elizabeth submits from her reading. The question is of ownership of knowledge. With a pandemic as a potential threat, it seems logical to give away knowledge as quickly as possible so that anyone can figure out solutions.

However, knowledge is power and money. Sometimes if scientists have it, they need to keep a tight lid on it in order to get competitive grants which pay their salary and in order to advance their professional careers.

I've had a similar kind of dilemma presented to me. Some have said that if I present in an open Blog that I am stock piling food, masks, and gloves against the possibility of a pandemic, that when pandemic comes, the unscrupulous and dysfunctional will come and try to take them from me. So I'd be smart to stay quiet about my preparations.

I quess my religious training and my career choice works against keeping useful knowledge to myself. At any rate, it isn't much of a practical issue at this point because as far as I can tell no one is reading this Blog anyway.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/13/134126/568