🚀 go-pugleaf

The (incredible) New Statesman claim is false.

It would appear to be the result of a mis-interpretation of the
following article in the September 7th issue of New Scientist.

        American researchers taking part in the international project
    to map the human genome are squandering hundreds of thousands of
    dollars in futile attempts to patent sequences of human genetic
    material.
        European partners in the project are angry at what they see as
    a waste of money and are seeking urgent discussions the Human
    Genome Organisation, an alliance of scientists coordinating the
    project - to avoid a transatlantic split in the programme.
        Walter Bodmer, the president of HUGO told the BA that American
    researchers ... [are] filing patents for some 1000 partial
    sequences of human genetic material each month.  With each
    application costing $30, this amounts to some $30000 a month.
        "The initial cost of patenting is double the cost of
    sequencing. .." ..

While the wording of the last sentence above is ambiguous, it should
be obvious that what was meant is the cost of patenting a particular
sequence is double the cost of its sequencing, and not as New
Statesman appears to have interpreted it, the total expenditure on
patenting is double the total outlay on sequencing, since obviously
not all sequences are being patented.

Thus, while the patent expenditure is undoubtedly excessive, -- if,
one third of the applications are proceeded with and granted, then the
fees for examination, sealing, and maintenance of the patents would
likely be somewhere between two and ten million (U.S.) dollars per
year, (assuming patent fees in the U.S. are roughly similar to those
in Australia), -- and the patent applications appear to be causing
considerable concern with HUGO, in comparison to the total expenditure
on the human genome project, direct patent costs probably only amount
to a few percent of the total outlay.

Thanks to Greg Pratt for pointing out the New Scientist article.

                                             Gordon Irlam
                                             (gordoni@cs.adelaide.edu.au)