U.S. Patent Office Re-Opens Debate Over Animal Patents

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U.S. Patent Office Re-Opens Debate Over Animal Patents

* U.S. Patent Office re-opens debate over animal patents
Group's challenge has merit, says agency
Sustainable Food News, Aug 10, 2007
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Patent 6,924,413 was granted for rabbits whose eyes are intentionally damaged to serve as a model for "dry eye" conditions in humans

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said this week it is re-opening an investigation into whether animals, whose eyes have been purposefully damaged, can be patented.

At issue is patent 6,924,413, "Experimental animals for evaluation of therapeutic effects on corneal epithelial damages," issued to Japanese-owned Biochemical and Pharmacological Laboratories, Inc. The patent was granted for rabbits whose eyes are intentionally damaged to serve as a model for "dry eye" conditions in humans.

The patent is being challenged by the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS), which argues that animal patents provide an incentive to harm animals for economic gain.

The USPTO said the challenge raised "substantial new questions of patentability" regarding animals. The agency has issued over 660 animal patents since 1987, about one-third are issued to foreign companies.
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