NIH Panel Against Gene Patents

Software Patents Panel

Over 6000 patents were issued last year in the US for software related inventions. Patent protection is available for software developments in Australia, US and Europe in addition to copyright protection. However, little use of the system has been made in Australia. We review the different types of intellectual property systems, and the use of the patent system in Australia in relation to prote...

The Case Against Patents

Human gene patents.

The concept of a patent on a human gene seems foreign to most people. Even those who understand the fundamentals of the patent system seem bewildered and confused by many issues relating to human genes. This article describes the scope and limitations of gene patents and the types of exemptions that have been proposed or allowed. It addresses and clarifies these and other issues, including the ...

New thinking on gene patents

With the number of patent claims including DNA sequence booming, is there a way forward to help resolve disagreements over the many issues involved? One ethical body believes that there is and has produced a new study.

Decoding gene patents in Australia.

Patents directed to naturally occurring genetic material, such as DNA, RNA, chromosomes, and genes, in an isolated or purified form have been granted in Australia for many years. This review provides scientists with a summary of the gene patent debate from an Australian perspective and specifically reviews how the various levels of the legal system as they apply to patents-the Australian Patent...