Just read that at the latest count, one fifth of human genes have been patented by US firms.
What on earth does that mean?
A
That’s weird. I know from my dad’s business that you can’t copright anything that is ordinary. I can’t make a hat and then cpoyright the idea. However, I could copyright a hat that glows in the dark, because that is unique.
So, human genes are ordinary and we all have them, so I doubt that anyone could claim ownership of them. That leads me to conclude that the process of doing something with them has been claimed as unique. If it’s not that, then I’m stumped.
I would like to know what they mean though.
designer babies around the corner…
one day in the not distant future… we will make the master race… blond hair and blue eye babies for the civilized world… and what parent would want to have a non engineered baby? of course, in order to give your child all the best advantages of racial purity, you have to pay company x several dollars because they hold the copyright on the blue eye gene…
-Imp
Although all of that sounds good Imp, I’m pretty sure that I own my own gene.
private property rights… you own your own gene… fine… your own raw gene, yes… but if you have your baby’s genes doctored to create the perfect designer baby with built in resistances to various diseases, the perfect physical attributes, height, eye/skin color ect. … you don’t own the “doctored” gene and it will be a pay to play situation…
-Imp
Sure that makes sense as those genes would take on a unique quality due to the process.
Personally, if someone cures cancer that way then they can own all they want. I will salute the Bill Gates of genes if he figures that one out.
Genetic engineering is big business, I suppose. Imp, are you sure this is the master race? I’m thinking less prone to depression, cowardice, double-talk, lies, deception. Whaddya think?
Any world without petite, dark eyed brunettes would be a joyless place for me. 
When I said that that sounded good I was kidding.
awwww. Tell the engineers to make you lots of copies then.
Goodnight.
“master” race is simply another error…
but the desire to build a better mousetrap is always there…
-Imp
One in five human genes now patented
Nearly a fifth of all human genes have been patented – the majority by private biotechnology companies, according to a survey of patent records published recently.
The extent to which companies claim ownership of human genes has raised alarm among researchers and led to warnings that in asserting commercial rights over crucial genes, companies risk stifling research into diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes and obesity.
Legal cases triggered by disputes over who owns specific genes and how access to working on them is restricted are also likely in future, the scientists warn.
Kyle Jensen and Fiona Murray at Massachusetts Institute of Technology calculated the proportion of human genes that had been patented by comparing the genetic sequences claimed in US patents to genes listed in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information gene database. They were surprised to find so many had already been patented.
“The stories that we hear in the media only concern a very small number of human genes,’’ said Murray. “But it turns out that a high number have been patented, including some of the more obscure ones.’’
Writing in the journal Science last Friday, the researchers report that nearly 20% of the human genome, or 4 382 of the known 23 688 human genes, have been patented, with more than half owned by private companies. About 63% of the patents are assigned to private firms, with one firm, Incyte Pharmaceuticals/Incyte Genomics, having intellectual property rights covering 2 000 human genes.
The researchers also found that the rights to some human genes, such as BRCA1, the gene linked to breast cancer, are claimed by more than one company, with as many as 20 patents asserting rights to various uses.
As yet it is not clear how gene patenting will affect medical research, but many scientists fear that, by monopolising specific genes, companies will exclude other researchers from studying them.
John Harris, a professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester, England, and a member of the Human Genetics Commission, said: “The pharmaceutical industry tend to argue they need to protect the products of their research, otherwise they would not invest in future research.
“However, I worry that this kind of patenting could have impacts on the cost of health and the freedom to access it.’’
According to Helen Wallace of the pressure group Genewatch, the patent grab threatens to skew research into areas where intellectual property rights are easy to secure. “It encourages a search for genes, when many problems with health could be addressed by better research into diet, social and economic factors.’’
Although Murray’s study only looks at the patenting of human genes in the US, it is likely that the same genes will have been patented in Europe.
“The patent systems in Europe and the US are separate, but normally people will apply for patents in all major jurisdictions,’’ said Hilary Newiss, a lawyer who specialises in intellectual property law and a member of the Human Genetics Commission. – © Guardian Newspapers 2005
A
Patented genes are, and always will be, trumped by one simple thing: sex. But Imp is right. It is genetic materials ‘tampered’ with to produce desirable(?) characteristics that will be sold over and over.
An even more interesting question is what happens to the bio-engineered human? Are the genetic properties bought and paid for by the parents the property of the child? Is this ‘engineered’ human free to pass the ‘enhanced’ genes to their offspring, or must they pay royalty fees in order to procreate? Although quite some time into the future, the argument over ‘intellectual property rights’ could get very interesting…
JT
“Is this ‘engineered’ human free to pass the ‘enhanced’ genes to their offspring”
That has some amusing potential to it. The check in and verification process will blow the mood and that’s when Viagra will come to the rescue! The stock will go through the roof! Buy now!
Seriously though, it sounds like Imp and I are wrong. From the article I gather that they are finding genes and putting a patent on them. I have no idea how this is possible. If I found a new kind of turnip I couldn’t patent it. However, if I bred a new one then I think that I could.
Interesting story Liquid.
How can someone patent a gene? This mean I have to start paying royalties on my DNA? Green eyes… that will be five hundred dollars.
No thank you.
I’m not 100% on the human gene patenting process, but if it follows plant and animal patent formats, the patent isn’t on the gene itself, but on any number of technical processes that are used to alter that specific gene. The idea behind the patent is to discourage the ultra expensive research that would be necessary to find other (patentable) ways of altering the gene.
Unless there is a world-wide revolt on the whole concept, it will eventually turn into the same kind of free-for-all we’ve seen with the development of the computer hardware and software battles. Throw in the intellectual property rights ‘copying’ issues, and we have a nightmare.
Brave New World hasn’t arrived just yet, but if you stand on your tippytoes you can see it from here…
Consider: Eventually, the vast majority of the human poulation could have genetically engineered characteristics. Imagine being the offspring of the last set of parents without genetically engineered genes. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “wild child”. 
JT
Superbaby may be around the corner. There was a sci-fi book on this concept, a super intelligent, super athletic, super handsome person who was so superior to all that he could not relate to anyone. He committed suicide.
But what is a whole new series of superbabies are created, LOL, Star Trek, did a bit on this with Khan, then this was made into a movie.
Kinda frightening, creating a race of superior being, similar to what the Nazis attempted.
Albeit, creating individuals resistant to disease may have it benefits.
aspacia ducks from the stones now decending upon her.
It means we are in trouble!
See “The Corporation” to understand how little corporations actually care about people:
Code word to learn: “externalization”:
seattleweekly.com/features/0 … lm_dvd.php
(quote):
“Saying that corporations meet the clinical definition of psychopathology is cute; more interesting is the notion of externalization—that they have a legal obligation to shareholders to shed all potential liabilities and costs (labor, good environmental practices, etc.). In other words, our government is Dr. Frankenstein, and the corporation is the monster we’ve knowingly created.”
Enjoy!
IT means the government is manipulating us for the next race to pick off from until they evolve well enough from our gene pool and possibly bring us back.