Federal court rules human genes can be patented

Raw Story

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in a 2 to 1 decision Friday that human genes can be patented because the DNA extracted from cells is not a product of nature.

The court held (PDF) that Myriad Genetics can patent two human genes used to predict the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women, overturning a previous decision by a federal district court in March 2010. But the court ruled that the method used to determine a patient's risk of cancer was not patentable...[Full Article]

Who owns your genes? In many cases, not you
Many companies hold patents on patient's genes, affecting testing, cancer research

...The United States government first granted patents on genes about 30 years ago to scientists who were able to "blueprint" the structure of a specific gene. Today, patents are attached to parts of about 20 percent of all human genes, including some that play a role in colon cancer and certain skin cancers. They last 20 years and are held by various private companies, foundations and universities, giving them the sole power to develop, administer and interpret tests for mutations...

[Full Article]

PAST ARTICLES: Can Corporations Own Your DNA?

Can Corporations Own Your DNA?

Patients, ACLU Sue Over Gene Patents; Companies Say Gene Patents Help Advance Research

(CBS) It's hard to believe, but private companies hold the patent rights to some of the genes in your body. The companies say the patents help them develop new treatments for serious diseases. But this week, a group of cancer patients and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit claiming the patents put them in danger, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews...