[quote]
[img]http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/06/dna.jpg[/img]
John Sulston, along with Sarah Chan and John Harris, write that scientific process is being stymied due to excessive ownership of scientific intellectual property. One of the more troubling statistics? Private companies have patented nearly 20% of human genes.
[quote]For example, it is estimated that some 20% of individual human genes have been patented already or have been filed for patenting. As a result, research on certain genes is largely restricted to the companies that hold the patents, and tests involving them are marketed at prohibitive prices. We believe that this poses a very real danger to the development of science for the public good.[/quote]
Essentially, if any group wants to conduct research on certain types of genes, they have to pay the patent holder to formally carry out the experiment. And then, of course, there are the pharmaceutical companies, who will buy up expiring patents to prevent potential competitors from infringing on the market territory of their status quo drug.
All of this, according to Sulston and co., means we're limiting the best possible scientific breakthroughs. Instead, we're stuck waiting for the ones which prove most profitable. That sucks. Sources [Gizmodo] [Guardian via Open Science][/quote] :20bux:
Bull fucking horse shit.
Anyone and everyone should sue the pharmaceutical companies that hold patents until they literally go bankrupt from all the legal costs. And then the assholes in the patent office who allowed these patents to go through should be fired.
Sucks big time that this trend isn't likely to end anytime soon, particularly as far as renewable energy solutions and medications are concerned. You'll see something in the news once in a great while about a scientific breakthrough that's been made, and that's the last you'll ever hear about it again.
I find this extremely unsettling.
The one novel by Michael Crichton "Next", completely explains why all of this is a bad idea and how this will be very very bad in the long run.
good read too
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_(novel[/url])
Corporations own a part of each of us. :saddowns:
[QUOTE=Mr.Dounut;30462075]The one novel by Michael Crichton "Next", completely explains why all of this is a bad idea and how this will be very very bad in the long run.
good read too
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_(novel)[/url][/QUOTE]
I miss Michael. :smith:
Am I missing something? How the fuck do you patent something that's naturally occurring?
Can someone please explain why they're able to patent genes in the first place?
[QUOTE=Rubs10;30462146]Can someone please explain why they're able to patent genes in the first place?[/QUOTE]
Because greed is good.
I believe this all started in the early 90s when the supreme court allowed the patent of some kind of micro-organism used in oil production. The patent office originally said you couldn't patent life, but after they were overturned, they pretty much said "fuck it" and said the only thing you couldn't patent was a full human being.
Edit:
Looked up more info. It was a bacterium used to cleanup oil spills and the case was in 1980.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_v._Chakrabarty[/url]
This should be illegal, it's not right. You can't claim things like this.
I'm going to patent the big toe. And then when one of those guys big toes are conveniently missing, they won't be able to get a replacement because I sued everyone for owning big toes, thus causing a big toe shortage.
[QUOTE=Rubs10;30462146]Can someone please explain why they're able to patent genes in the first place?[/QUOTE]
It's sorta like patenting seeds that major companies use to plant in the fields, in the long run it screws the other smaller farms in the ass.
I don't see how it's possible to patent them. It's like someone trying to patent trees or rocks.
[QUOTE=Meller Yeller;30462466]I don't see how it's possible to patent them. It's like someone trying to patent trees or rocks.[/QUOTE]
My father works in the medical industry and he has some sick things he learned. When you go to the store you think you see wide varieties from different companies. But when you go up the ladder, a handful of companies are protecting their turf and releasing new branches to provide the economy, competition, sort of to speak.
[QUOTE=ducky5;30462533]My father works in the medical industry and he has some sick things he learned. When you go to the store you think you see wide varieties from different companies. But when you go up the ladder, a handful of companies are protecting their turf and releasing new branches to provide the economy, competition, sort of to speak.[/QUOTE]
umbrella corporations aren't really exclusive to food tho
1. Become Lawyer
2. Study law for 20 years
3. Patent Oxygen
4. Win life
[QUOTE=Lazor;30462549]umbrella corporations aren't really exclusive to food tho[/QUOTE]
As was referring to medical companies. Sorry I wasn't clear on that. But food companies are re·nowned for that to. Algora foods is a huge one.
"But, but... if they can't patent these genes, then they can't get their hard earned money(c)! And that's just tyranny, keeping people from their hard earned money(c). Anyone against this is a progressive socialist, out to enslave rich people."
I'm gonna go patent grass, and certain types of animals.
I really hope this changes but I can't see anything actually stopping this.
Guys I just patented the rapid exothermic reaction between a fuel and an oxidant which is accompanied by the production of heat
Fuck that,[I] I'm patenting the planet.[/I]
[QUOTE=Mr.Dounut;30462075]The one novel by Michael Crichton "Next", completely explains why all of this is a bad idea and how this will be very very bad in the long run.
good read too
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_(novel[/url])[/QUOTE]
I read that. It's pretty good; he makes a really strong arguement. My only beef is that the plot jumped around too much IMO.
When deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything, the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks.
Well I say the gene that makes blood bloody is now copyrighted by me. Everyone on the planet owes me a poopillion dollars.
i am going to patent black people and every time they are black they owe me a dollar
[editline]15th June 2011[/editline]
[img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Money/Pix/pictures/2008/11/11/loadsamoney460x276.jpg[/img]
Companies patent certain parts of the genes so when companies want to do research, they get payed for companies to use the data on the gene.
Y'know, patenting a gene is wrong unless it's home-made, like generated in a lab. There should be an international law prohibiting the patenting of pre-existing genes, since such genetic copyright is detrimental to the free market and the progression of science and enlightenment.
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