They own you
Do you think are a free man? Think again. Companies out there are working hard to patent your genes.
How many of you out there realize that there are companies patenting genes from your body. These patents are being granted and are enforceable so that the company owning the patents, in effect, owns you.
Once a gene is patented the company can also block other companies from doing research into diseases and cause huge increases in the cost of tests for some diseases. Today more than twenty human pathogens are privately owned. One example given in the article is the test for the BRCA genes for breast cancer. This test has increased in price from around $1000 to $3000 since a company was allowed to patent the gene. Now they can charge whatever they like for the test and, on top of that, if you undergo the test the company that owns the patent can keep your tissue for research and there is not one thing you can do about it.
One thing the article did not mention was the Indonesian government’s stance on the version of the bird flu virus prevalent there. They have stopped providing samples to the WHO since a company which was sent some of the samples used them to develop a vaccine. The Indonesians feel that they “own” the disease and should get financial compensation. They have struck a deal with a major drug company where they get a royalty on the vaccine.
Click on the link below to find out more about genetic patents and why they can harm you.
Patenting Life – New York Times
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