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Celera and the DOE

Posted by michael on from the scientific-pork dept.

The Washington Post describes how the Department of Energy and Celera have made a cozy deal whereby the DOE will assist Celera in their genome-mapping efforts, and Celera will extort billions of dollars from the rest of the world by patenting that genome.

4 of 11 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft is more important than all OS's! by Joe+Groff · · Score: 2

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    -Joe

  2. I can see some good points to it. by Lover's+Arrival,+The · · Score: 2
    The simple fact is that if it were not for patents, drugs research would not happen at all. How is a company supposed to recoup its investment? Another point is that by the time they actually manage to produce any useful drugs from the material the patent gives them, the patent will only have a few years to run.

    Another point in favour is that the money they are paying to the DoE comes back to us all - through the mechanism of public services in America provided by Celera. Thanks to this company you will be paying a little less taz this year. Also, as America is the biggest provider of foriegn aid, payments for the drugs sold in foriegn countries will recoup the USA a little for its unselfish attitude in this arena. IMHO, this deal has some very good points indeed, though there may of course be pitfalls.

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    --Anticipation of a New Lover's Arrival, The

  3. Not as bad as it sounds by Alik · · Score: 3

    I belive that gene patents suck; to me, they represent a statement of ownership over human life, a practice which went out of fashion a hundred years ago. I also buy into the well-known arguments that they harm research and innovation.

    Nonetheless, as far as that latter argument, this agreement will probably not be a big deal. If the government has joint ownership of all things produced, they have the right to license it for free use to all persons who receive Federal research grants. Since those grants drive the majority of academic research, researchers aren't hindered. Private firms will, of course, have to pay Celera its fifteen pieces of silver, but I fail to see ethical problems there beyond the existing patent issues.

  4. too bad by Tairan · · Score: 3

    genomes don't make power. Why is the DOE looking into this? What are they going to get from it? We all know the government doesn't do anything for free.

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