Biologists vs. Genetic IP Laws

An Anonymous Coward writes: "An article in the NYTimes discusses a recent international treaty aimed at protecting countries against 'recent efforts by some companies to commercialize substances from tropical plants and animals without seeking permission or paying royalties.' The treaty makes it almost impossible for honest biologists to collect samples or even conduct studies of indigenous wildlife. In some cases biologists with permits have been detained and their samples destroyed."

Comments

Even patents on human stem cells?

[CyberQ]

To take it even further: The EU ethics group has just published a report recommending that stem cells that have been modified should be pantentable (internationally).

The Group considers that only human stem cells lines which have been modified by an inventive process to get new characteristics for specific industrial application are patentable. However, that stem cell which are been isolated and cultured but which have not been modified should not be considers as patentable inventions. Quoting from the press statement.

The full report is available here (here).