Slashdot Mirror


Ruling Upholds Gene Patent In Cancer Test

diewlasing writes with a report in the New York Times which begins: "In a closely watched case, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that genes can be patented, overturning a lower court decision that had shocked the biotechnology industry." Techdirt has some insightful commentary on the ruling.

4 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Clearly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What a poor world you live in where everything has to be measured in monetary profit.

  2. Re:Clearly by Alex+Belits · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is already no profit in cancer cure, as it would be immoral to refuse it to sick people, and people who develop it can not possibly collect enough money from the sick to cover their expenses. This is why it can be only developed in government-run or government-sponsored programs -- and we should better get accustomed to it.

    --
    Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
  3. Re:Next up by JBMcB · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Good point on aspirin. Aspirin *was* patented a long time ago. The patent has long expired, but companies still seem to make a lot of money off of selling it, even though anyone can buy dirt cheap acetylsalicylic acid from Dow and infuse it into their own tablets for next to nothing.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  4. Only solution left by jmorris42 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Since the courts are insane beyond recall there is only one option left. Congress needs to pass a law. Throw the creationists a bone to get them on board. Mandate the Patent Office to assume the design of every existing natural creature was patented by God with the issue date in 4000BC. And to stop the next step direct the Library of Congress to assume He filed a copyright on the full genome of every creature on the same date. Then direct them to assume any gene sequence derived from a naturally occurring creature is a derived work so that only the new material is eligible for a new copyright if it is different enough and separate enough from the original work.

    --
    Democrat delenda est