Federal Court ruling: human genes can not be patented

[7patches]

For over 20 years, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has been issuing patents on human genes-giving corporations, individuals, and universities exclusive rights to test, study, or even look at specific genes

Comments

[the_spirit_man]

I've already forgotten (didn't we talk about?) the name of the woman who's cancer biopsy specimen led to so many things like the Salk vaccine...

You know who I'm referring to? The author of the book about it was interviewed on Fresh Air.

(But I was clever -- I wrote the woman (and the author's) name down in my notebook -- so I can go look it up?)

Seems this would have some connection to this case...

[inflectionpoint]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeLa

Henrietta Lacks.

[paulliver]

I think the 9th Amendment would have been better grounds, because it is a catch all Amendment, really, saying that just because a right is not mentioned in the Constitution doesn't mean we don't have that right. New rights for a new situation.

And I think patents should be for inventions, not discoveries. What is the difference between patenting my genes and patenting me?