Re: SOC/BIO: Rifkin on Human Genetic Engineering in the LA Times

From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Sat Feb 05 2000 - 20:07:29 MST


At 06:41 PM 5/02/00 EST, Greg wrote:

>http://www.latimes.com/news/science/science/20000203/t000010923.html

>It is a coldly
>calculated step in a plan this man and his followers are carrying out to
>block human genetic engineering.

Yes. But *some* of what he's pointing at scares the shit out of me anyway.
I want to know exactly what the patent claim allows. Presumably Geron can't
demand a royalty on every natural conception (which is the sort of global
claim over embryo creation Rifkin seems to be implying), but only over the
use of certain precise in vitro procedures. Right? E.g., a different but
perhaps related point: I *really* hate the idea of human DNA fragments
being `patented'; as well patent the idea of the eye.

on the other hand:

> And, if cloned human embryos are, in fact, considered to be human
>inventions, then what becomes of our notion of God, the creator?

and if cloned human embryos are, in fact, considered to be human
inventions, then what becomes of our notion of the Tooth Fairy? Oh no,
waaaah--

Damien



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