Owning the Genome: A Moral Analysis of DNA PatentingDNA patenting has emerged as a hot topic in science policy and bioethics as private companies and government agencies spend billions of dollars on genetic research and development in a race to identify, sequence, and analyze DNA from human, animal, and plant species. David B. Resnik's Owning the Genome explores the ethical, social, philosophical, theological, and policy issues surrounding DNA patenting and develops a comprehensive approach to the topic. Resnik considers arguments for and against DNA patenting and concludes that only a patent on a whole human genome would be inherently immoral, while the morality of other DNA patents depends on their consequences for science, medicine, agriculture, industry, and society. He also stresses the importance of government regulations and policies in order to minimize the harmful effects of patenting while promoting the beneficial ones. |
Contents
1 | |
2 DNA and Biotechnology | 13 |
3 DNA as Intellectual Property | 31 |
4 Arguments for DNA Patenting | 63 |
5 Patenting Nature? | 73 |
6 DNA Patents and Human Dignity | 93 |
7 DNA Patents and Scientific Progress | 131 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agriculture Amgen argue benefits biological biotech biotechnology Biotechnology Industry Organization body BRCA1 BRCA2 cancer Celera Celera Genomics cell chapter cloning COIs commercial commodification companies complete commodities consequentialist courts databases deontological deontological argument developing world disease DNA patents DNA sequences drug economic ethical example exemption exploitation farmers gene patenting gene therapy genetic engineering genetic information genetic tests GM crops GMOs harms human genome human ingenuity imperfect duty important industry intellectual property invention inventors isolated and purified issues licensing medicine Miller and Davis moral mutations organisms patent application patent DNA patent holder patent law patenting of DNA percent person plants posed by DNA potential problems product of human products of nature property rights protect proteins research exemption Resnik risk role scientific scientists seeds slippery slope society tion trade secrecy trademark types utilitarian violate human dignity whole human