Links
Note: the HGC does not endorse the views expressed in these websites.
United Kingdom organisations
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry – Responses to Nuffield and Royal Society reports.
British Medical Association – Paper outlining basic patent law and current issues.
BioIndustry Association – see paper on the patenting of genes.
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents- Contains basic law and FAQ’s.
Commission for Intellectual Property Rights -The Commission was set up by the British government to look at how intellectual property rights might work better for poor people and developing countries. The first Commission meeting was in London on the 8th-9th May 2001, and the final report was published on 12th September 2002.
Department of Health (UK) Genetics White Paper Our inheritance; Our future. This report contains little on intellectual property and awaits the publication of later Public Health Genetics Unit and IPI reports.
I-Bio [Information biotechnology UK] - provides a wide range of information about biotechnology in the UK.
Intellectual Property Advisory Committee – Advisory body to Ministers on Intellectual Property rights generally. Currently considering research exemptions and compulsory licences.
Intellectual property portal - Government supported resources for copyrights, designs, patents and trademarks.
Nuffield Council on Bioethics - Contains report “The ethics of Patenting DNA” – a comprehensive discussion of the issues. The report concludes that patents should continue to be granted for DNA sequences but that the criteria should be strictly applied with the aim of limiting the scope and number of patents granted.
Patent Office (UK) - Contains basic law and FAQ’s.
- Examination Guidelines for patent applications relating to biotechnological inventions. This site interprets current law and gives guidance on how applications are currently assessed by the Patent Office. Also examination guidelines for patent applications on human stem cells, and general information on the topic.
Public Health Genetics Unit – Report “Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and Genetics from the Public Health genetics Unit and others.
Royal Society – Report on Keeping science open: the effects of intellectual property policy on the conduct of science
UK Government – Pharmaceutical industry competitiveness taskforce Report 2001. Concludes that it is necessary to retain and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK business environment for the pharmaceutical industry including effective intellectual property rights.
UK Parliament – House of Commons trade and industry committee inquiry into the UK biotechnology industry
European Organisations
European Commission.
- Research: European Research Area - First report on the implementation of the Biotech patents Directive. “Development and implications of patent law in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering”.
- “Strategy for Europe - towards a strategic vision of Life Sciences and Biotechnology”. Concludes that effective patent protection crucial but needs to be monitored closely to ensure needs of researchers and companies are satisfied.
- Development and implications of patent law in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering (July 2005)
- Patenting DNA sequences (polynucleotides) and scope of protection in the European Union - an evaluation (2004) Second report on the implementation of the European Patent Directive.
European Patent Office - The EPO grants European patents for the contracting states to the European Patents Convention.
European Society for Human Genetics - an international professional society which promotes research into basic and applied human and medical genetics and facilitates contact between persons working in these areas.
European Union Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions (Directive 98/44)
OECD Working Party on Biotechnology - Report on Genetic inventions, IPRS, and licensing practices.
International Organisations
Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into genes and patenting.