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Debunking the myth that whole-genome sequencing infringes thousands of gene patents

The fear that human gene patents pose a threat to whole-genome sequencing is based largely on widely held misconceptions.

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Acknowledgements

This research was conducted with financial support from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). The design, analysis and composition of this manuscript was conducted independently by me, and I am responsible for any errors or omissions. The views and conclusions expressed herein are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BIO or any of its members. I am grateful to K. Jensen and F. Murray for sharing their patent data, and R. Cook-Deegan for helpful commentary.

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Correspondence to Christopher M Holman.

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Holman, C. Debunking the myth that whole-genome sequencing infringes thousands of gene patents. Nat Biotechnol 30, 240–244 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.2146

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