Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Patents
  • Published:

Patent protection for protein structure analysis

Nature Biotechnology volume 22, pages 109–112 (2004)Cite this article

Three national patent offices have consulted on patents that cover protein three-dimensional structural data and pharmacophores, with significant implications for the biotechnology industry.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Trilateral Project WM4, Comparative Studies in New Technologies. Report on Comparative Study on Protein 3-Dimensional Structure Related Claims, Vienna, Austria, November 4–8, 2002.

  2. Flower, R.J. The development of Cox2 inhibitors. Nature Rev. Drug Discov. 2, 179–191 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. http://www.rsgi.riken.jp/

  4. Hultquist, S.J. et al. Patenting bioinformatic inventions: emerging trends in Europe, Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 517–518 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hultquist, S.J. et al. Patenting bioinformatic inventions: emerging trends in the United States, Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 743–744 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. USPTO. Examination guidelines for computer-related inventions, 61 Fed. Reg. 7478 (1996).

  7. In re Lowry, 32 F.3d 1579, 1583-4, 32 USPQ2d 1031, 1035 (Fed. Cir. 1994).

  8. In re Warmerdam, 33 F.3d 1354, 1316, 31USPQ2d 1754, 1760 (Fed. Cir. 1994).

  9. T 1173/97 (OJ 1999, 609).

  10. JPO. Examination guidelines for patent and utility model in Japan, Part VII, Chapter 1 (2001).

  11. State Street Bank & Trust Co. vs. Signature Fin. Group, Inc., 149 F.3d 1368, 47 USPQ 2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1998).

  12. Formulating and communication rejections under 35 USC 103 for applications directed to computer-implemented business method inventions, IV. A. Example 12: Rationale reasoned from the difference is the data being stored (2000).

  13. Case of an herbicidal imidazole derivative, Tokyo High Court, 1990 (Gyo Ke), Decision No. 243 (H6.3.22). As comparable case, Case of natriuretic peptide Tokyo High Court, 1998 (Gyo Ke), Decision No. 393 (H13.3.15).

  14. EPO. Guidelines for examination in the EPO, Part C, Chapter III, 4.7a, June 2000.

  15. Case of a muscarine-like receptor antagonist, Tokyo High Court, 2001 (Gyo Ke), Decision No. 345 (H14.10.1). As comparable case, Case of antimetic drug, Tokyo High Court, 1996 (Gyo Ke), Decision No. 201 (H10.10.30).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Sheryl R. Silverstein, Takayuki Hirose, Toshio Miyake, and Cora Tsang for advice on the article. This work was supported in part by the RIKEN StructuralGenomics/Proteomics Initiative (RSGI), the National Project on Protein Structural and Functional Analyses, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan

    Itsuki Shimbo

  2. RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center (GSC), Yokohama, Japan

    Rie Nakajima

  3. RIKENGSC & the Harima Institute and the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Shigeyuki Yokoyama

  4. National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan

    Koichi Sumikura

Authors
  1. Itsuki Shimbo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rie Nakajima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shigeyuki Yokoyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Koichi Sumikura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Itsuki Shimbo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shimbo, I., Nakajima, R., Yokoyama, S. et al. Patent protection for protein structure analysis. Nat Biotechnol 22, 109–112 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0104-109

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0104-109

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing