New Issue of GeneWatch Magazine

My Article: Naturally Occurring Genes and the Commons by Necessity appears in the latest issue of GeneWatch Magazine, a publication of the Council for Responsible Genetics. There is an impressive line-up of authors for this issue, including Chris Holman, Kevin Noonan, Robert Cook-Deegan, and interviews with Daniel Ravicher and Sandra Park. Most of these arguments are the usual, utilitarian sort on both sides of the issue. I tried to be clear in my article about the deontological, ethical necessity of not patenting unmodified parts of nature, expanding and clarifying, I hope, the arguments I began to make in my book. I have yet to see a decent reply to these deontological arguments beyond the usual utilitarian pleas. The whole issue is worth reading to see the various perspectives and arguments. I am proud to be among the authors, and thankful to the editors.

another amicus brief in which Who Owns You gets cited.

This Amicus brief cites to my book, and discusses briefly my notion of the commons by necessity. Always nice to see someone is paying attention. Many thanks to the authors and amici. There are 12 briefs by amici in support of plaintiff-appellees, and 16 for the appellants. Now we wait for oral argument,which ought to be fun. Wish I could watch.

A nice brief from amici AMA and others, by Lori Andrews and Joshua Sarnoff

Read the brief here in support of plaintiff-appellees. A number of other briefs are out there, including the response brief of ACLU. There are also a number of briefs on the other side of the debate, a good list of which is here.