I cannot share the concerns that are being so widely expressed about the role of patents in agriculture. In fact, I cannot imagine a path forward without them.
Tag: Intellectual Property
The fruits of climate change
The other day I found myself looking through the plant patents held by the Zaiger's Genetics team. The Zaigers, a family of plant breeders led by a UC Davis Plant Pathology graduate, have developed some very cool fruits. You may…
The history of patenting life
A major philosophical issue that many people have with biotechnology is patents on genes or whole organisms. It seems obvious that a plant, animal, or even bacterium is very different than a new piece of exercise equipment or anything else…
More is better – when it comes to IP?
One of the best parts of the Maize Genetics Meeting is the opportunity to have discussions with scientists working in a variety of fields from academia, industry, and NGOs. Conversation this afternoon veered towards intellectual property (IP) and biotechnology for…
BIO-FABulous!
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News reports that UC Berkeley and Stanford University are collaborating on a project to build a biotechnology resource called BIOFAB. This stands for International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology. (IOFAB?) I guess the missing B stands for…
Terminator 2: My Mission is to Protect You
In discussions about GE crops, one of the contentious topics that often comes up is the use of what has been effectively dubbed "Terminator" technology. These are crops that are engineered to produce sterile seeds that cannot be regrown. The…
Is opposition to GE crops in Europe a Scientific Flip-Flop?
Just out today, Seed Magazine has assembled a "Scientific Flip Flop" about Genetically Engineered crops. The article begins with an introduction into the curious case of European nations who embrace scientific conclusions in other areas of science, but not in…
Read More Is opposition to GE crops in Europe a Scientific Flip-Flop?
ACLU and gene patents
Although this is not related to plants, this certainly has implications for plant genetics. I have just received notice that th ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Myriad Genetics, the company that owns the patents on the BCRA1 and BCRA2…
Are GMOs a plot to rule the world?
Editor's note: The following post was part of an April Fools Joke. Go here for more details. By William Harvey: Hello readers, I am William Harvey, the Director of Global GMO Policy at Greenpeace International. In exchange for support of…
To Label or Not to Label
If GE crops are considered safe by most scientists, why not simply label the produce from these crops and let people decide for themselves? Most people like to know what they are eating and make their own choices. I am…