Patent troll

at all? Should gene patent holders be allowed to withhold genes at their will or should one be in charge of what happens to their own genes within their body? Michael Crichton, American best-selling author, who wrote “Patenting Life” and American economist and author John E. Calfee who wrote, “Decoding the Use of Gene Patents” both discuss the affects on people when gene patent holders come into the process of medical research. Crichton and Calfee both agree that gene patent holders have…

York Times, and John E. Calfee of American magazine delineate their opposing views of gene patenting in two separate essays. Crichton believes in the abolishment of gene patents, using ethics as the backbone of his argument in his op-ed piece “Patenting Life.” On the other…

recent study found that "university technology transfer activities continue to be predominately patent-centric and revenue-driven with a single-minded focus on generating licensing income and obtaining reimbursement for legal expenses." Current Bayh-Dole patenting and licensing practices have thus been criticized for creating unnecessary increases in consumer prices and for creating patent hold-ups and a patent "anticommons." The access-oriented goals of the Bayh-Dole Act would be fulfilled best…

Methodology I have always had a fascination with homesteading. It began with my father’s stories of growing up on a homestead and his memories of the animals and the garden. His stories bloomed into reading autobiographies of homesteaders, such as The Good Life by Scott and Helen Nearing, and Hard Times in Paradise by David and Micki Colfax. These stories are what led me to live in rural Hawaii where many collect rain water, grow our own food, and have learned to be less consumer driven. While…

In the afterword, Skloot discusses the commercialization of human tissue, the patents on various genes, and the fact that the companies who own the patents dictate what research is done on the genes. This is troubling for the reason that it limits the time in which scientists find a cure the genetic disease. One, in particular, is Myriad Genetics, the owner of the license…

Crichton believes that the ability to patent genes was a misstep in, what he describes as, “An underfinanced and understaffed government agency.” ( 441) The former Harvard medical student believes that this new up and coming practice was a result of a “misinterpreted” supreme court ruling. (441) He leads the reader to believe that getting genes patented is a relatively easy process. On the contrary, Calfee states that is actually quite arduous to obtain a patent. The staff economist elaborates…

In November 2007, the appellant, originally from Thailand, came to Australia on a visitor visa. The Minister refused him for a protection visa, however he appealed the decision to the High Court and subsequently lost the case in October 2009. He did not hold a substantive visa until September 2010, where he submitted an application for a partner visa on-shore. The appellant later submitted what he believed to constitute compelling reasons to waive the Schedule 3 criteria, however the Minister…

expenses, particularly equipment, fertilizer, fuel, and more recently, seed costs, in order to survive. As a result, many farms often struggle to make a profit or may not even break even at the end of the year. In addition to production costs, the patent infringement lawsuits placed upon farmers by Monsanto can be especially challenging for farmers to overcome financially. The out-of-court settlement costs paid to Monsanto, as discussed previously, could also considerably decrease a farmer’s…

Crichton V. Calfee: The Gene Patent Argument Michael Crichton and John E. Calfee both discuss the topic of gene patents in their respective articles, “Patenting Life” and “Decoding The Use Of Gene Patents.” However, the similarities end there as their opinions are the direct opposite of one another, with Crichton expressing extreme displeasure at the idea of gene patenting while Calfee is in support of the practice. Firstly, Crichton believes the patenting of genes as a whole to be a mistake.…

Some cases in the Supreme Court’s history stand out more than others. The case of Microsoft v. AT&T is an example of such a case. This case, which resulted in a major and influential ruling on the inclusion of software coding in patent laws, is an example of a dynamic ruling. This claim will be further explored, but first it is necessary to build an understanding of the meaning of both the dynamic and constrained perspectives. 1. Dynamic v. Constrained Courts When it comes to the American…