Patents Versus Your Health

ethzer0 writes "It's no surprise to the Slashdot crowd that patents are a hot topic these days. But a story on Wired reports that Edwin Stone and Val Sheffield, professors at the University of Iowa, have discovered links between 15 genes and certain eye diseases, which means genetic tests could be developed for the diseases. But often the scientists find the genes or parts of them have already been patented. Any diagnostic test involving a patented gene could infringe on someone's intellectual property."

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[Kevin Burtch]

These patents can't stand, and should never have been given in the first place.

To receive a patent on something, you have to have INVENTED IT (like a lightbulb).
You cannot patent something you DISCOVER (like a comet).

Do these companies claim to have invented humans, or just certain diseases that have been around for millenia?