Gene As Element? Metal?

a: Patenting a gene ~
b: patenting a metal extracted from earth

What: "My opinion is that patenting a gene is like patenting a metal after extracting it from the earth," said David Korn, M.D., professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School; co-chair of the National Academies' Committee on Science, Technology, and Law; and former AAMC chief scientific officer. "You can't patent the naturally occurring elements in the periodic table like copper, iron, or nickel. Extracting DNA from cells and purifying it and identifying its sequence is equivalent to extracting a metal and purifying it from its attached salts."

Useful?
Writer: David Korn, M.D.
LCC:
Where: Reference Link Has Evaporated
Date: May 7 2013 5:34 PM


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