Andras Pellionisz is seeking a patent on a scientific research program (the study of DNA introns to see whether they represent fractal patterns). Quoting Hal Plotkin for the San Francisco Chronicle: "His patent application covers all attempts to count, measure and compare the fractal properties of introns for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes." Patents must describe a non-obvious technique. In this case, the patentability of the research program depends on the fact that most biologists are not familiar with fractal mathematics. (Thanks to RRE.)
(PS: We're starting to see the insanity of business-method patents invade science. If these "scientific method patents" take off, then scientists will not only have to pay royalties to patent-holders in order to investigate nature, but invest up-front money to see whether a certain line of research is free for study.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 11/26/2002 08:40:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
