A paradigm shift occurred in the patent office when a genetically engineered organism was allowed to be patented. This eventually opens the doors to patenting all forms of life. In fact there are firms racing to sequence genes that ALREADY EXIST, so that they can obtain the patent. How far will this insanity be allowed? Will it be OK to own a slave if they are cloned with genetic information owned by a patent holder? Will a company start sending you bills for using "their" genes that happen to reside in your body?
This is already a powerful tool used to prevent farmers from gathering their own seed and replanting. Gathering and replanting seed is perhaps the oldest tradition in human history. But when the genes are owned by somebody else, you cannot legally gather the seed you grew!
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