Law and nature collide; because animal clones are natural products, patenting them can get a little woolly
Article Abstract:
Creations of the first whole cloned animal much covered in the media in 1997 and the filing of a patent application in the United Kingdom on the method, namely cloning a whole animal from a living cell, presents the question of whether a patent is appropriate. The answer is no, as historically natural products were not patentable, at least not with a simple product claim. A patent on a cloned animal must be carefully made to be enforceable. Such a claim could go to the animal's genetic makeup or to a unique DNA sequence within it. Means of identifying infringing animals should be identified.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1997
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Laws that bar natural medicine defy nature
Article Abstract:
America's health care crisis will not be solved until preventive health care receives the proper emphasis. Alternative medicine emphasizes preventive care, and there are certain steps the legal system could take to facilitate its practice. These include exempting dietary supplements from the lengthy and expensive Food and Drug Administration approval process and allowing alternative practitioners to work in certain limited areas without fear of unauthorized practice of medicine charges.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1993
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Congress needs laws governing legislation
Article Abstract:
The new Republican majority in the US Congress needs to analyze the impact of new legislation before passing laws. The Contract with America's Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act sets forth this concept, requiring that policymakers analyze and justify any costs they are considering imposing on the public. The environmental impact statement is a very similar concept and regulatory impact statements would serve the public well.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1995
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