1/5 of All Human Genes Have Been Patented

mopslik writes "A story on National Geographic News cites a study claiming that 20% of all human genes 'have been patented in the United States, primarily by private firms and universities.' While universities hold 28% of all gene-related patents, 63% belong to private firms, with a whopping 2000 patented genes (approximately 67%, or 50% total) belonging to a single firm." From the article: "You can find dozens of ways to heat a room besides the Franklin stove, but there's only one gene to make human growth hormone ... If one institution owns all the rights, it may work well to introduce a new product, but it may also block other uses, including research ..."

Comments

Searching for Prior Art?

[pmike_bauer]

...just check my archives.
God.

Re:Searching for Prior Art?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah! Like Holy Wars!

Re:Searching for Prior Art?

[Lucractius]

Do not panic. The Authorities have been warned.

he will be unfairly treated to the full abuse of the law.

oops i didnt mean to say that........

So....

[i.r.id10t]

So... which one of us meat popsicles gets to claim "prior art" first?

Re:So....

[sconeu]

Did you hear about the genetic researcher who sued her facility for sexual harrassment?
Apparently the horny director kept trying to get into her genes...

God has priort art

[NFN_NLN]

God has prior art, their patents are invalid.

Re:Wait wait, what the hell?

[Locke2005]

It means your mom is in serious trouble if she doesn't shell out licensing fees! Will we see a new RIAA-like organization suing EVERYBODY for violating these patents?

Re:Correction

[Neil Watson]

That's OK. You were expecting the editors to actually edit. Then again, this is Slashdot. What were you thinking? :)

That's it, I'm porting

[fuzzy12345]

Screw this. The US wants me to believe that various organizations and universities own the plans to ME? And of course, through WIPO, they'll want to enforce this insanity worldwide. Slashdot kooks may well believe that this kind of foolishness will hasten the demise of the entire intellectual property system (with massive collateral damage in virtually every industry) but I'm not going to gamble by waiting the decade it'll take, if it comes to pass at all.

TAHT'S WHY I'M PORTING MYSELF TO A SILICON BASED LIFE FORM! WHO'S WITH ME?

Re:That's it, I'm porting

[hoggoth]

> various organizations and universities own the plans to ME?
> TAHT'S WHY I'M PORTING MYSELF TO A SILICON BASED LIFE FORM! WHO'S WITH ME?

I, for one, welcome our new silicon based patent-unencumbered overlords!

In the United States...

[MarkEst1973]

In the United States, business firms patent you!

Re:In the United States...

[makomk]

No, you've got it all wrong. It's: In Capitalist America, business methods patent you!

This Just In

[Dark Paladin]

God, aka "The Supreme Being", "The Intelligent Designer" and "Don't Fuck With Me Pip-Squeaks" recently filed claim in federal court for patent infringement. He/She/It/They claim that patents regarding the human genome violate He/She/It/Their's intellectual property laws.

"Good grief, you little monkeys are an annoying lot," God was quoted as saying. "Between this and that jackass Jack Thompson, I'm going to have to fire up another hurricane."

Comments from the defendants were not returned at the time of this filing, as they had all turned to salt.

I suggest a cross-licensing agreement

[Locke2005]

You see, I've already patented the asshole... and these people are clearly violating my patent!

Re:Wait wait, what the hell?

[cpu_fusion]

Clippy: I see you are trying to apply logic to the patent system.
Would you like to:
1. Take bong hits until this makes sense
2. Shoot self to save time
3. Hey look over there, a shiny pebble!

So...

[Anonymous Coward]

So this means that every time I spank the monkey, I'm committing hundreds of millions of acts of patent violation?

Re:Wait wait, what the hell?

[confusednoise]

If you have a "D" in your nucleotide sequence, I suspect you have bigger problems than just patent issues ;-)

Hint: The only bases in use in Earth DNA are Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine (ACGT).

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

[yintercept]

RE: "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms"

FYI, the genes that create arms are now the property of Sybiotic Genes Operations (SGO) based in Lindon, Utah. While people who currently have arms will be allowd to keep and bear them (According the Constitution) the SGO Group asks that all people who are currently in the process of growing arms (infants and children) pay a reasonable licensing fee for the use of the genes used to grow said arms.

Re:The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

[Terrasque]

But the important question is: Do we have the right to arm bears?

Re:The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

[Meagermanx]

Did you even look at the parent's post?
It clearly stated you have to pay a small licencing fee to SGO every time you want to arm a bear.
Talk about redundant questions.

Didn't File In Time

[blueZhift]

God: Uh, you know I invented the human genome right after I created the rest of the cosmos.

Patent Officer: (Head down scribbling.) Did you file the proper paperwork?

God: No.

Patent Officer: (Head still down.) Sorry. I can't help you. Perhaps you can purchase a license from the patent holders.

God: (Turns around and leaves.)

All fades out...forever...

Re:Didn't File In Time

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer the ending where the Patent Officer gets zapped.

Re:Didn't File In Time

[jZnat]

That's right, baby, magic fingers. /Family Guy

Re:Didn't File In Time

[Ignominious Cow Herd]

I'll do you one better:

At the end of his shift (5:00:00 P.M.) the Patent Officer leaves for the day. On his way to catch his bus, he is hit by a car and dies. He arrives at the Pearly Gates.

Patent Officer: Umm, is this the way to get into Heaven.

St. Peter (Head down scribbing.) Did you file the proper paperwork?

Patent Officer: Uh, paperwork? No.

St. Peter: (Head still down.) Sorry. I can't help you. Perhaps you shouldn't have been such a worthless shit when you were alive.

Patent Officer: (Catches Fire and Drops down to Hell)

God walks by whistling: "Instant Karma's gonna get you..."

Re:Facts?

[Hurricane78]

YES, YES! This is it! ;)

Let's patent all the most basic things like
- having an idea
- physical forces
- elementar particles

well... the last two would be enough, but maybe those creatures that are looking like humans and patent such stuff or allow it to be patentet aren't even in our known rules of physics. so let's patent evilness right away, and we're done! :)

Re:Wait wait, what the hell?

[sbillard]

1.

Or more generally...

[Dr.Dubious DDQ]

"All Your Base-Pair Are Belong To Us"

That explains the cease-and-desist order..

[Anonymous Meoward]

Intellectual Property Division
Legal Department
Megagencorp Inc.
2525 Prometheus Way
Cuperfremont, CA 94949-4949

Dear Mr. Meoward,

It has come to our attention that you and your spouse, Mrs. Kitty Meoward,
are actively attempting, through crude yet effective (and somewhat noisy)
means, to duplicate the technology of our patent #3,456,789, also known
as "Marker NH54B3". We also understand that you and Mrs. Meoward use
every available opportunity to increase the probability of subverting our
intellectual property. We are not amused.

Should your efforts result in successful duplication, we will demand licensing
royalties for the duration of the new prototype (heretofore described as
"the Progeny"). We will demand a flat fee for sharing of this work under
license; however, this fee will increase as the Progeny reaches an age of
viable replication (a.k.a. "puberty"), during which it may actively seek out
attempts at willful replication in the backseats of cars.

We therefore demand that you cease and desist from this activity until
you can prove that sufficient safeguards are in place either 1) to guarantee
this fee during the lifetime of the Progeny, or 2) to keep the Progeny from
ever existing (please submit all receipts to this department).

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Re:Wait wait, what the hell?

[z0idberg]

If you have a "D" in your nucleotide sequence, I suspect you have bigger problems than just patent issues ;-)

If you've got it I suggest you patent it before someone else grabs it !

Re:RIAA

[Taladar]

In Soviet Russia the companies are owned by the people so naturally it must be the other way around in the US.