Patents on DNA and Genes Declining
Gene and DNA patents concern those who worry that important life-saving information will be locked away by those whose only desire is to make a profit. A recent study of over 15,000 patents involving DNA sequences has found that patents on DNA are no longer growing apace. Only one third of patents have been granted while the rest were had been denied, withdrawn, or stuck in the application process.
Dr Michael M Hopkins, Dr Surya Mahdi, Mr Pari Patel and Professor Sandy M Thomas at SPRU – Science and Technology Policy Research, at the University of Sussex, UK have concluded that a number of factors have made it more difficult to patent genes and DNA, including:
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New guidelines at patent offices
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Legal developments
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Commercial sentiment
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Availability of genetic information in the public domain
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Cost and difficulty of obtaining a patent, esp. in Europe
The US patent office has apparently granted many more gene patents than other countries in Europe and Japan.
Denise Caruso wrote about patents in the biotech industry last month for the New York Times. Here’s a reprint in the Tuscaloosa News.
Medical News Today, February 11, 2007
Photo: German Patent Office from genome4hire
Tags: genetics, genes, genome, dna, patents, biotech, diseases, illness, health
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Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] Patents on DNA and Genes are declining in number (per unit time), according to this discussion on Genetics and Health [...]
[...] It’s basically a rehash of the arguments from his latest book, Next. He makes some important points but if gene/DNA patents are truly on the decline, his concerns may be moot before too long. [...]