Rarely do the ins and outs of patent law spark impassioned public controversy, but, as recently demonstrated by Michael Crichton's bestseller Next, gene patenting is an exception. Patenting proponents see DNA as just another realm of discovery, and patents as the key to biotechnology's treasures; others believe that DNA patents can stifle scientific progress, are morally wrong, or attempt to put nature itself under patent holders' dominion. Still others believe that while gene patents are fine in principle, our creaky patent system should be refined to better deal with DNA-based inventions.

On July 10 the Genetics & Public Policy Center will host policy makers and the media for another in its regular series of Genetic Perspectives on Policy Seminars (GenePOPS), "Who Owns Your Genes? Intellectual Property and the Human Genome." A panel of experts will address such questions as:

- Should elements of the human genome be patentable?
- Who really owns DNA patents? And what, exactly, do they give ownership of?
- Do gene patents foster or stifle innovation?
- How might patent reform affect DNA patents?

The seminar is co-sponsored by Duke University's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. The event will be open to the public, and is on the record.

Moderator

Kathy Hudson, director, Genetics and Public Policy Center, Johns Hopkins University

Panel

- Barbara Caulfield, executive vice president & general counsel for Affymetrix, Inc.
- Robert Cook-Deegan, director, Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy, Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University
- Steve Haro, senior advisor & communications director, Office of U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra
- F. Scott Kieff, associate professor of law at Washington University, St. Louis, and fellow at the Hoover Institute, Stanford University

2:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 10, 2007
National Press Club
529 14th Street, N.W. -- 13th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20045

About GenePOPS:

To explore the areas being touched by human genetic technologies and foster discussion about their impact, the Genetics and Public Policy Center hosts a regular lecture and discussion series in Washington, D.C. called Genetics Perspectives on Policy Seminars - GenePOPS, for short. GenePOPS feature experts from relevant disciplines who come together to share thoughts and answer questions about genetic technologies and science policy. The Center is supported at The Johns Hopkins University's Berman Bioethics Institute by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and by research funding from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The Center's mission is to create the environment and tools needed by decision makers in both the private and public sectors to carefully consider and respond to the challenges and opportunities that arise from scientific advances in human genetics. http://www.dnapolicy.org

This article came from The Johns Hopkins University
http://www.jhu.edu