Patzke+Draft+Overview

DRAFT OVERVIEW

This study will document and evaluate the current trends (1980-present) of intangible property recourses and practices in the biotech industry as they relate to DNA and gene sequencing. Special focus will be allotted to current cases in the judiciary and industry practices in response to the judicial decisions. Historical and social scholarship will be presented to contextualize the effects of intangible property beyond legal scholarship. Interviews with practitioners, both in science and law, will emphasize the normative effects of legal interpretations of scientific (and economic) practices in the biotech industry.

This study will create new knowledge about the social effects of legal and scientific evaluations of gene sequencing and intangible property rights. - Describe and analyze historic and current rulings and the trajectory of intangible property cases in the US judiciary - Describe and analyze current practices in biotech industry to ‘protect research’ - Identify stakeholders within both sectors and identify overlaps and mismatches in ‘agendas’ and ‘results’ of rulings.

This study will create new knowledge about the economic effects of intangible property resources in the biotech industry, specifically patenting gene sequences - Describe and analyze the role of ‘profit’ and ‘protection’ in the overlap of intangible property law, genetics, and biotech industry practices - Describe and analyze the ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ nature of judicial ruling on biotech companies property protection practices - Describe and analyze current ‘rebel’ trends in open access genetic program to circumvent the industrial protection of genetic data.

This study builds on prior legal scholarship on intellection property and the current debate concerning ‘the patent thicket’. The study will result in conference lections, publications and workshops and will contribute to existing interdisciplinary literatures (M.Fortun) linking economics with genetic initiatives.