In a decision that could make it more affordable for women to be screened for breast cancer, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that human genes cannot be patented. Complementary DNA, on the other hand — a synthetic DNA that’s also used in genetic testing — can be patented. “You cannot patent a [gene] sequence if it exists in nature, but you can patent it if you have altered it,” said Robin Feldman of the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.
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No Patents on Human Genes, Supreme Court Rules
Posted by: Richard Adhikari June 13, 2013 04:57 PMIn a decision that could make it more affordable for women to be screened for breast cancer, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Thursday that human genes cannot be patented. Complementary DNA, on the other hand — a synthetic DNA that’s also used in genetic testing — can be patented. “You cannot patent a [gene] sequence if it exists in nature, but you can patent it if you have altered it,” said Robin Feldman of the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.