Research Agendas and Patenting
In both human genetics and GM crops and foods, questions about the research that is conducted and how it is controlled and shaped are important for society to consider. Supporting research in one area usually means research in another will be limited because funding has to be prioritised. Allowing patents on basic research can restrict who can use the knowledge to develop new treatments or crops. Encouraging research that has commercially benefits will skew research towards areas where discoveries can be patentable, because this is what industry encourages.
GeneWatch believes there should be more public involvement in making decisions about research priorities. We also believe that patents should not be allowed on genes because they are discoveries, not inventions; that by monopolising knowledge at such a basic level research is hampered; and that research is biased towards patentable discoveries rather than being prioritised for health or sustainable food production.
Resources
- Press articles
- The Guardian: It's time to burst the biomedical bubble in UK research (12th July 2018)
- The Independent: Half of all patents for genes from marine species owned by one company (7th June 2018)
- First Post: Monsanto loses legal battle over GM cotton patents; firm's false claim exposed, says National Seed Association head (12th April 2018)
- Independent Science News: Genetics Is Giving Way to a New Science of Life (6th February 2017)
- European Patent Office: EPO stays proceedings in certain biotechnology cases (12th December 2016)
- Deutsche Welle: Carlsberg urged by NGOs to rethink beer ingredient patents (17th November 2016)
- Science: Rise of digital DNA raises biopiracy fears (17th November 2016)
- No Patents on Seeds: EU Commission says plants and animals derived from conventional breeding should be regarded as non-patentable (3rd November 2016)
- IP Watch: EPO Backs Patents On Conventional Plants: Broccoli, Tomato Cases Decided (30th March 2015)
- Common Dreams: US Scientists, Oil Giant Stole Indigenous Blood (18th June 2014)
- SciDevNet: UK's Science Media Centre lambasted for pushing corporate science (14th May 2014)
- Investig'Action: Le Chili celebre le triomphe contre la Loi Monsanto et l'Accord UPOV [In French] (12th April 2014)
- BBC: US Supreme Court says human DNA cannot be patented (13th June 2013)
- The Observer: Gene wars: the last-ditch battle over who owns the rights to our DNA (21st April 2013)
- FT: Science: Custodians of the code (26th March 2013)
- The Guardian: Europe 'has failed to learn from environmental disasters' (23rd January 2013)
- Salem-News.com: Family Farmers Travel to Washington D.C. to Take on Monsanto (6th January 2012)
- Reuters: Food safety group calls for court to limit GMO seed patents (10th December 2012)
- Reuters: Supreme Court to decide if human genes patentable (30th November 2012)
- Bloomberg: DuPont Sends in Former Cops to Enforce Seed Patents: Commodities (28th November 2012)
- TheGuardian: Genetically modifying and patenting seeds isn't the answer (9th October 2012)
- Nature News: Monsanto may lose GM soya royalties throughout Brazil (15th June 2012)
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GigaOm: Famous judge spikes Apple-Google case, calls patent system "dysfunctional" (8th June 2012)
US judge criticises patent system.
- The Nation: How Our Genetic Maps Are Being Sold to the Highest Bidder (6th June 2012)
- The Scientist: Gene Patent Stirs Controversy (4th June 2012)
- BBC: UK bioscience industry gets GBP250m cash boost from government (24th May 2012)
- BioTechniques: Gene Patent Case Heads Back to Court (14th May 2012)
- The Globe and Mail: Why science has to promise profits (23rd April 2012)
- The Guardian: It's time for a register of interests for science academics (10th April 2012)
- Reports
- Local Food Systems in Europe: Case studies from five countries and what they imply for policy and practice (August 2010) 22nd August 2010
- Bioscience for Life? 5th April 2010
- Summary & Conclusions: History of proposal for data-sharing without consent 26th January 2009
- History of the proposal for data-sharing without consent 26th January 2009
- Links
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European Environment Agency: Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation (23rd January 2013)
Includes: Chapter 19 Hungry for innovation: pathways from GM crops to agroecology. David A. Quist, Jack A. Heinemann, Anne I. Myhr, Iulie Aslaksen and Silvio Funtowicz
- Nuffield Council on Bioethics: Emerging biotechnologies: technology, choice and the public good (December 2012)
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Intellectual Property: The many faces of the public domain.
This book contains a chapter by GeneWatch's Helen Wallace and Sue Mayer.
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European Environment Agency: Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation (23rd January 2013)