RESUMO
The proposal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to patent products resulting merely from sequencing the human genome is a mistake: at worst, it is wrong in patent law; at best, it relies on deficiencies in law concerning what is "useful" as a requirement for patents. The proposal is symptomatic of a problem besieging biotechnology--attempts to control the raw material of scientific experimentation before research has determined the practical value of such material--that needs curing on many fronts. Corrective measures are proposed for adoption by the Executive branch, the Congress, and the courts.
Assuntos
Biotecnologia/legislação & jurisprudência , DNA/genética , Governo Federal , Genoma Humano , Patentes como Assunto , Sequência de Bases , Regulamentação Governamental , Humanos , Função Jurisdicional , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Decisões da Suprema Corte , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Survey results show that the American public comes to the health care reform debate with ambivalent feelings and a relatively low base of specific knowledge. But Americans also hold a set of core values that will shape their response to various proposals for national change. These include (1) a moral commitment to the uninsured; (2) a desire to achieve personal peace of mind; (3) a lack of self-blame; (4) a limited willingness to sacrifice; (5) reasoned self-interest in what changes are enacted; (6) a distrust of government; and (7) a healthy cynicism about the behavior of our major institutions.