Part 2: Background Document
European Journal of Human Genetics (2008) 16, S10–S50; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.37
Patenting and licensing in genetic testing: ethical, legal and social issues
Sirpa Soini1,2, Ségolène Aymé3 and Gert Matthijs4 the members of the Public and Professional Policy Committee (PPPC) and Patenting and Licensing Committee (PLC), on behalf of the ESHG
- 1Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki
- 2Department of Medical Genetics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 3INSERM SC11, Paris, France
- 4Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Correspondence: Professor S Aymé, Hôpital Broussais, INSERM SC11, 102 rue Didot, Paris F-75014, France. E-mail: ayme@orpha.net; Professor G Matthijs, Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium. E-mail: gert.matthijs@med.kuleuven.be
Keywords:
patents, research exemption, licences, DNA diagnostics, European Patent Convention
Abbreviations:
COE, Council of Europe; EGE, European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies; EPC, European Patent Convention; EPO, European Patent Office; EST, Expressed Sequence Tag; HGC, Human Genetics Commission (UK); HUGO, Human Genome Organisation; IBC, International Bioethics Committee (UNESCO); IP(R), Intellectual Property (Rights); JPO, Japan Patent Office; NAS, National Academy of Science; NIH, National Institute for Health; OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; PCT, Patent Co-operation Treaty; R & D, Research and development; SNPs, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms; TRIPs, Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights; UNESCO, United Nation's Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation; USPTO, United States Patent and Trademark Office; WHO, World Health Organisation; WIPO, World Intellectual Property Organisation; WTO, World Trade Organisation
