Comments on: Someone else owns one fifth of your genes

By: Neil Wilkinson

Neil Wilkinson — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:40:22 +0000

” Monsanto has something like 11,000 seed patents. They are marketing their patented �round up ready� crops and then suing farmers that are caught with Monsanto�s genes in their fields.”

Has the world gone mad?? Surely the farmers, or someone on their behalf should be able to sue Monsanto for allowing their genes to escape and contaminate the farmers crops??

Hi Neil–

Where the legal profession is concerned – at least in the US – it does seem that the world has gone mad.

MRE�

By: Andrew Chin

Andrew Chin — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:43:29 +0000

Crichton's knowledge of patent law is spotty, but he's on the right side of the debate. For a more detailed discussion, please see my blog. Hi Andrew-- Interesting.� Thanks for the link. Best-- MRE�

By: hap

hap — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:33:16 +0000

It’s amazing what this country continues to allow. As a software developer, I deal with the threat of absurd patents all the time, but at least a case can be made for some of them. No case can be made for patents on genes, and it’s a perversion even worse than the game played by drug companies to extend patents on major drugs by running through bogus patents on packaging, delivery mechanisms, etc.

Hi hap–

Agreed 100%

Cheers–

MRE�

By: David LaCivita

David LaCivita — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:17:18 +0000

A fine example of capitalism at work. My only real complaint with capitalism is how it has replaced Democracy in this country. I fully understand the benefits of it, I am just disgusted by it’s grip on our gov’t.

And yet a bipartisain bill looks to break it’s grip on our genome! I am TOTALLY surprised, I thought for sure someone would have paid someone else to make sure that bill never got written. I am sure someone will get paid to kill it.

Hi David–

Capitalism hasn’t replaced democracy in the US.� They co-exist side by side.� They are apples and oranges.� One is a political system, the other an economic system.

Let’s hope the bill gets killed somehow.

Cheers–

MRE�

By: George Mead

George Mead — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:25:01 +0000

This is one of the most disturbing practices on earth. If you haven’t seen “The Future of Food” try to. I was able to download it from Google but the file is gone. There are some pieces of it up there. http://www.thefutureoffood.com/index.htm

Monsanto has something like 11,000 seed patents. They are marketing their patented “round up ready” crops and then suing farmers that are caught with Monsanto’s genes in their fields. Scary stuff. Life should not be patentable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWa-A3-x_Y
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/business/14crop.htm

Hi George–

Agreed!� Thanks for the links.

Cheers–

MRE�