Comments on: Will Venter’s “Synthetic Cell” Patents Give Him a Research Monopoly?

By: pbaker

pbaker — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:27:54 +0000

If Venter is a troublemaker for applying for those patents then other Genetic Engineers need to apply for patents of their own. asking venter to restrain himself from patenting things that belong to someone else probably won’t do any good. Apply for patents as due diligence and get on with it.

Progress is not ‘ideal or perfect’ in a rush for breakthroughs.

By: pbaker

pbaker — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:13:23 +0000

Venter is a powerbroker in genetic engineering. This is America. Although he is greedy and sneaky he is a winner. better to be on his side than against him , it seems. if he wants to make billions of dollars instead of being a poor scientist, what can you do?

At least he will hire the best team to achieve his goals. There is so much work still left to do, at least he has the resources and leadership to make breakthroughs happend. These acheivements take alot of money. The American economy needs this guy and his company. Genetic Engineering is a great industry for America to be in.

He’ll get the patents if he should get the patents. whether he is immoral for applying for the patents is secondary debate.

John Sulston has a point, but is losing. He needs to fight fire with fire. study Venter or collaborate with him. Sulston can’t veto Venter’s patent application, claiming venter’s techniques should be free to others. Unless Venter didn’t come up with those techniques then the patent can be disputed and declined.

Patents = Money = Genetic Engineering breakthroughs = More money

technology is not free

By: geeta

geeta — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:40:30 +0000

The only way to keep a secret is to keep it to yourself. When you want to make money out of it, strategize it such that you get your profits before anyone can capitalize on it. Legal patents are a lazy man’s way of making a lifetime of profit on something not really unique and/or not undoable by thousands of others, not to mention feeding the lawyers. If your work is unique, it will patent itself, without wasting state money on a legal system to enforce it.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:12:39 +0000

Forget the critics. Venter needs to keep pushing forward.

By: John Spevacek

John Spevacek — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:05:44 +0000

Please no! Arguing about patents and how good/bad they are is the scientists’ version of arguing about abortion, religion or just politics in general. Lots being said, none of it new, none of it productive in changing anyone’s mind at all.