In a situation where the patent holder steadfastly refuses to license his invention, despite the need for its use in certain circumstances, the state stands to protect the public interest against the interests of the copyright holder. Compulsory licensing of technology is a common practice and is present in different forms in the US and the EU law. In some cases, the public interest is recognized as more important than the private interest of the patent holder, who totally bans to use his intellectual property The possibility of a compulsory license without the permission of the patent holder is fixed in Art. 1239 of the RF Civil Code. Article 1362 of the Civil Code defines the conditions of a compulsory license for industrial property. The Berne Convention on Copyright mentions the feasibility to introduce compulsory licensing in favor of broadcasting organizations. The TRIPS Agreement defines the conditions that must be met when issuing compulsory patent license. An analysis of foreign sources shows that compulsory licensing is one of the most effective mechanisms for reaching a compromise between interests of the author and society. Ban concept of intellectual property is detrimental to business, like any other monopoly. On the other hand, the authors of intellectual property should be adequately rewarded for their creative work. The article confirmed the feasibility of shifting the balance of interests of the right holder to society, both in the field of industrial property and copyright.