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ARTICLE · 19 MARCH 2009

New Developments In Stem Cell Patenting

Plougmann & Vingtoft
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Even though the biotechnological field is rapidly advancing especially in the field of stem cell research, scientists working in the field are met with the implications imposed by ethical considerations and legal boundaries connected to genetic engineering and use of human embryos in the name of science.

European UnionIntellectual Property
European Patent Attorney, Anne Schouboe
European Patent Attorney, Anne Schouboe

Even though the biotechnological field is rapidly advancing especially in the field of stem cell research, scientists working in the field are met with the implications imposed by ethical considerations and legal boundaries connected to genetic engineering and use of human embryos in the name of science.

No patent due to human embryo destruction

The European Patent Office (EPO) recently made a ruling against stem cell patenting in cases which involve the use and destruction of human embryos. The ruling was a result of a patent application filed in 1995 by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) – a designated patent management organisation of the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the US.

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