Patent and License Issues

Patent and License Issues

The San Jose Mercury News had a story today reporting that several biotech firms are objecting to the profit sharing policy tentatively adopted by the CIRM last February. The firms argue that if they are forced to share their profits with the state, they will not have any incentive to commercialize their research. The policy also requires researchers who get grants to share the results of their research without license fees, and the execs believe this will discourage research.

I’m trying to find a word to describe these execs’ positions, and all I can think of to say is that “It’s so 20th century, you know.” The 21st century is moving rapidly towards knowledge sharing in a variety of fields, and biotech will have to catch up at some time.

People will always want to make money, so there’s nothing to be done about that, but cutting back on your research because you don’t want to share with the people who helped supply you with the money in the first place just seems stingy. It’s like getting all your ingredients for chocolate chip cookies from your neighbor and then not sharing any of the cookies after they are baked.

Movement Toward Senate Vote

Movement Toward Senate Vote

Reuters reports that because two Republican Senators have decided not to block the vote—although they will still vote against it—on the embryonic stem cell bill in the House, Bill Frist now sees scheduling a July vote as feasible. I say one bill, but there are actually three bills as part of a package. In addition to the bill that would lift the federal restrictions on funding for embryonic stem cell research, one bill prohibits “fetal farming,” and the second endorses alternative methods of obtaining embryonic stem cells. The Washington Post also has a story on the subject. It reports that the 3 bills will be debated for 12 hours, each bill needing 60 votes to pass, no amendments allowed, and it’s all or none—it’s a package deal. The bill is generally expected to pass the Senate, but Bush has said that he will veto it. This would be his first veto.

It will be interesting to see what happens after the veto. There aren’t enough votes to override it, at least according to all reports, but it certainly won’t put Bush in an easier position to be opposing a bill supported by many members of his party.