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Breast Cancer Gene Lawsuit Argues Patents Invalid

Posted by Soulskill on from the time-to-reconsider-my-patent-on-feet dept.

bkuhn writes "The ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation have filed a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and invalid. The lawsuit (PDF) was filed on behalf of four scientific organizations representing more than 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals, as well as individual researchers, breast cancer and women's health groups, and individual women. Individuals with certain mutations along these two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a significantly higher risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers."

8 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A sad day by bothemeson · · Score: 4, Funny

    Surely if you patent the trolls parts instead then you've got them by their own petards :-)

  2. New Business Model by arthurpaliden · · Score: 4, Funny

    Patent a gene and then sue anyone who has it. Even better would be to copyright it and then get $700 per copy in the body.

    --
    Undetectable Steganography? Yep, there's an app fo
    1. Re:New Business Model by javilon · · Score: 2, Funny

      Patent a gene and then sue anyone who has it. Even better would be to copyright it and then get $700 per copy in the body.

      Also, you could ban human reproduction as it involves unauthorized copying of copyrighted genes.

      --


      When his defense asked, "Which computer has Jon Johansen trespassed upon?" the answer was: "His own."
  3. Re:I don't understand it. by corsec67 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Monsanto sues God?

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    If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
  4. Re:I don't understand it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    God countersues - what a patent portfolio. Oh, wait, are there any lawyers in heaven?

  5. Re:I don't understand it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, there aren't any lawyers in heaven. However, he requested a trial by a jury of his peers, and I really don't see the Son or the Holy Spirit ruling against him.

  6. Re:I don't understand it. by osgeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dude, don't come to Slashdot and make some logical argument about the good side of gene patenting and how this might be a complex issue where the knee-jerk reaction of "patents are bad!" might not apply.

    Before your little intellectual escapade, everyone was having a nice circle jerk criticizing the evils of human greed to try to make a buck based upon little knowledge and much angst.

    Your kind of informed opinion isn't appreciated here!

    --
    Why are you letting these clowns ruin our country?
  7. Re:I don't understand it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    So does this mean that people with cancer will have to pay royalties?