[syndicate] Private companies own human gene patents

[claudia westermann]

was unaware that obviously isolating something (identification of a 
part) makes something patentable
just because it cannot exist in nature in this isolated form


(I think that I remember that when the Human Genome Project started 
people were saying it was not possible to patent the findings of 
identification .. ? )

?

-c


see:

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/patents.shtml

In general, raw products of nature are not patentable. DNA products 
usually          become patentable when they have been isolated, 
purified, or modified to produce a unique form not found in nature.





>Private companies own human gene patents
>
>Kate Ravilious
>Friday October 14, 2005
>The Guardian
>
>Nearly a fifth of all human genes have been patented - the majority 
>by private biotechnology companies, according to a survey of patent 
>records published today.
>
>The extent to which companies claim ownership of human genes has 
>raised alarm among researchers and led to warnings that by asserting 
>commercial rights over crucial genes, companies risk stifling 
>research into diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes and obesity.
>
>Legal cases triggered by disputes over who owns specific genes and 
>how access to working on them is restricted are also likely in 
>future, the scientists warn.
>
>Kyle Jensen and Fiona Murray at Massachusetts Institute of 
>Technology calculated the proportion of human genes that had been 
>patented by comparing the genetic sequences claimed in US patents to 
>genes listed in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information 
>gene database. They were surprised to find so many had already been 
>patented. "The stories that we hear in the media only concern a very 
>small number of human genes," said Dr Murray. "But it turns out that 
>a high number have been patented, including some of the more obscure 
>ones."
>
>Writing in the journal Science today, the researchers report that 
>nearly 20% of the human genome, or 4,382 of the known 23, 688 human 
>genes, have been patented, with over half owned by private 
>companies. Around 63% of the patents are assigned to private firms, 
>with one firm, Incyte Pharmaceuticals/Incyte Genomics, having 
>intellectual property rights covering 2,000 human genes.
>
>more...
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1591991,00.html?gusrc=rss
>
>
>
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