Twenty years of transgenic animals: Are some inventions SO important as to NOT be entitled to full patent protection?

World Patent Information

Volumn 30, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 139-143

  Fuller, Michael ^a  

^a Nerac Inc   (United States)

Author keywords

DuPont; Harvard mouse; Oncogene; Oncomouse; Patenting organisms; Transgenic animals; Transgenic mammals

Indexed keywords

EID: 41549148244     PISSN: 01722190     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.wpi.2007.11.002     Document Type: Article

References (13)

1. Gordon J.W., Scangos G.A., Plotkin D.J., Barbosa J.A., and Ruddle F.H. Genetic transformation of mouse embryos by microinjection of purified DNA. PNAS 77 (1977) 7380-7384
2. Jaenisch R., and Mintz B. Simian virus 40 DNA sequences in DNA of healthy adult mice derived from preimplantation blastocysts injected with viral DNA. PNAS 71 (1974) 1250-1254
3. Wagner. PNAS 78 (1981) 5016
4. Stewart, et al. Science 217 (1982) 1046
5. See Wikipedia's Oncomouse page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_mouse.
6. See Bioethics and patent law: the case of the oncomouse, available at http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2006/03/article_0006.html. Note that this same rationale was applied to a transgenic mouse for hair loss (by Upjohn in 1992), and the EPO Board of Appeal held that these mice were not patentable.
7. See European Patent Office limits Harvard's 'oncomouse' patent, available at http://www.epo.org/about-us/press/releases/archive/2001/07112001.html.
8. Murray F. The Oncomouse that roared: resistance and accommodation to patenting in academic science, page 3. .
9. See F. Murray, The Oncomouse that roared, at page 7, citing Owen-Smith and Powell, 2003.
10. See Transgenic animals: their benefits to human welfare, by Endang Tri Margawati, available at http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/margawati.html.
11. See also http://www.gsk.com/research/about/about_animals_roles.html for a pro-transgenic industry perspective.
12. See of Transgenic Mice and Men, by Peter Shorett, citing the San Francisco Chronicle, June 3, 2002 article titled "OncoMouse breeds controversy: Cancer researchers at odds with DuPont over fees for patents," available at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/06/03/BU116161.DTL&type=business.
13. Ongoing battle over transgenic mice, available at http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/14847/.