Gene Patent Argumentative Essay

Words: 1551
Pages: 7

a. The government supplies patents to foster the development of new, helpful technologies by providing legal protections against the replication of a creator’s technology, which allows him or her to reap in royalties from anyone that makes his or her device while inflamming the creator’s ego of being recognized for making that invention. If a patent is issued, the patent-holder must share the details of the invention’s creation; however, organizations still have to pay to use the patented technology. Gene patents given to biomedical companies create new avenues of profit: creative license fees for other institutions using or sequencing the patented gene generates profit. Seeing this possible profit, biomedical companies may be more inclined to research other clinical applications of this gene to gain more patents. Non-licensed research companies and …show more content…
I support having no gene patents. Because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of unchanged genes as not patentable and not-for-profits institutions such the National Institutes of Health applauding the decision, a real life example of free genetic research is portrayed. Growing in the U.S., citizens learn to respect the law, and if natural gene patents are unlawful, I cannot disobey this law, but can still support groups to test the ruling’s validity. However, I will not challenge this law because no one owns a “natural” gene, and businesses and facilities laying claim to a gene cannot put financial barriers for other groups to research that gene. The Human Genome Project was the first organization to publish the complete human genome, claiming no gene patents, which prevents anyone from having a gene patent later. As a result, a gene patent after this genome publishing is unlawful by plagiarizing the Project’s work. Business transactions may decline in genetic research, but biomedical companies needing to find other sources of profit may discover new biological information and devices that can help