A major dilemma in the field of Genetics is the ability to patent specific genes. While they were first issues in the 1980s after a court case, it was later decided by the members of the Human Genome Project that all human DNA sequences would be freely open to the public, making them unable to be patented. While this decision took place in 1997 and has nearly held up the duration the debate is often brought up that scientist should be able to benefit from these discoveries.
This year the Supreme Court made it official by declaring unanimously to make it illegal to put a patent on a isolated gene or on a gene sequence. This will help people all over the world because it removes many potential roadblocks that could be encountered when undergoing Gene Therapy.
"Intellectual Property." Intellectual Property. National Human Genome Research Institute, 19 June 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.
Hey James, when you say put a patent on genes what exactly do you mean? I'm a bit curious since I know nothing about genetics.
ReplyDeleteI think that this sounds really interesting because I didn't even know it was possible to put a patent on something like genes. I mean don't we all have then? So how can they put a patent on something we all have right? I was also just curious as to what putting a patent on a gene really means? I am glad that, even if I don't really understand it, taking the ability to patent genes away will help people going through gene therapy.
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