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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."
Additionally, scientists working at the university of Wisconsin were reported as saying, later in the week:
"Since we have a patent on how stem cells may be used, we would advise every person living in the United States to either give us $25,000 or kill themselves, as we never explicitly said which babies could use them and which couldn't. Suck our balls!"
Furthermore, I would like to advise every American male that they are currently in violation of my own patent #2,3443,223 - "Ballzack." And, I must demand immediate licensing payment for posession or use of "Ballzack" or anyone found to be in posession of "Ballzack" will have it seized. I will begin grabbing everyone's "Ballzack" upon non-payment beginning on the first of September.
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
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
Research at the Montreal Neurological Institute has revealed that there is an alternative source for stem cells. The source is from the skin of adult rodents, and they believe that this will also be possible with humans. The added advantage is that these stem cells would not be rejected when used in building organs for replacement.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
So why would anyone keep using embryonic stem cells?