Patenting Life?  1 2

The following story sounds like good news to me, and we need to discuss why many of us believe patenting life forms is wrong:

“A controversial mouse, genetically modified to make it better suited for cancer research, may not be patented under current Canadian law …” (1)

“Supreme Court of Canada rules the Harvard mouse cannot be patented. In a 5-4 judgment, the court said the mouse does not qualify as an invention under the federal Patent Act of 1869.” (2)

“Life forms are not light bulbs, and mammals are not machines,” said Joanne Dufay of Greenpeace Canada. “This is a victory for life.” (1)

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References

[1] http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/12/05/scc_mouse021205
CBC News, Dec 5, 2002, Supreme Court rejects patent on genetically-modified mouse

[2] http://www.cbc.ca/news/features/harvard_mouse.html
CBC News Online, Dec. 5, 2002, The Harvard Mouse (a.k.a. Oncomouse) by Justin Thompson