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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Newsgroups: net.sci,net.research,net.bio
Subject: Copy protected Genes
Message-ID: <970@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Nov-85 17:14:36 EST
Article-I.D.: cadovax.970
Posted: Wed Nov 27 17:14:36 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Dec-85 05:08:35 EST
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Xref: watmath net.sci:490 net.research:374 net.bio:315

.........

There was a program on PBS a few weeks ago that talked about the
preservation of variation in food-plant genes, that mentioned that
companies like Monsanto are striving to 'copy protect' their new
manufactured plant strains via gene-splicing in 'fingerprints'
so that they can recoup the large expenditure required to develop
such super-plants in the first place.  I can see it now, farmers
crops being checked for 'bootleg' plant strains, and involved in
copyright infringement suits when caught.

In addition, Monsanto is witholding what it learns about new bio-engineering
techniques as proprietary.

It seems that this proprietary business may be going a little too far.
If companies strive to withold libraries of plant seeds etc., in order
to protect their investments, we all suffer.  It is likely too, that
the majority of such discoveries may stay on laboratory shelves, when
they cannot be directly tied to economically attractive products, or
may compete with presently successful products already produced by
the company.

Once upon a time, the leading edge of technology tended to center around
Universities that had no 'conflict of interest' in the dispersion of
new technologies.  Now however, the business community with it's larger
R&D budget is changing all that, while at the same time causing the
resultant products to cost more, and making it more difficult for
smaller companies to compete. 

Keith Doyle
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