Slashdot Mirror
Stem Cell Patent Torpedoes Research
g8orade writes: "This story says the University of Winsconsin owns patents that may prevent anyone spending that federal money soon. "As they carry out President Bush's plan for government financing of embryonic stem cell studies, federal health officials confront a daunting challenge: U.S. patent 6,200,806, a claim to the human embryonic stem cell." Originally in the NYT, this is a link to the not free account-requiring Charlotte Observer."
Say, Mr. Founding Father...what was that again about patents and copyrights providing a BENEFIT to society? Is this what was intended?
Seriously, I think I remember reading that Benjamin Franklin was against the concept of patents because he himself invented a new type of indoor stove (Franklin stove I'm guessing) that was much much safer than the other indoor stoves at the time, which cause deaths from fire and smoke inhilation. A company in England tried to patent the stove's design after it was in use in the colonies and Franklin saw that there could be potentially lifesaving advances that would be unavailable thanks to patents.
Imagine patents on seatbelts and airbags being used restrictively...like you could only get them or use them in Ford vehicles. AIDS vaccines are another key example. It is inexcusable that WIPO and other intellectual property organizations put corporate profit protection above human life.
benefit of society".
- JoeShmoe
-- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
Let's not get confused here. Have a patent on concept X does not give me the right to stop all research on related topics X1 and X2. It prevents you from developing X, calling it your own, and selling it. The Thomas Edison foundation holds a patent on the light bulb, but that doesn't mean I cannot research LEDs, or new types of light bulbs.
when issues like this come up, and everyone here is pretty much agast at some stupid patent or law, what do we do? I mean other than whine and moan here about it. How many of you write an email to president@whitehouse.gov? how many take an ounce of effort and figure out the email of your congressman or house of represenataive member and then email them? I wont mention actually writing a real letter and mailing it, as most everyone here is either too lazy or cheap to do such a thing. but instead of whining how about actually being a member of society? we as a collective can and do crash servers on a regular basis. but do we take one bit of effort to write a letter that sounds like it was writen by someone that actually passed 10th grade and send it to someone who does have the power to change the law/problem? no way.
I dare you, I dare all of you. to write an email to the president and vice president, voicing your concern that his important decision is being controlled by some un-american legislators in a wisconsin college. And you as a voting american citizen (or as a forign interested party) would like to know what he is going to do about it.
Dont use L33t or swear every 3 words like an illiterate turd.
I'll bet that none of you have the guts or even brain power to do it. (Yes this last line is an intentional troll... as it seems that someone has to slap the slashdot collective in the face to get it's attention)
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.