Crichton Vs Calfee

“If you patent a discovery which is unique, say a human gene or even just one particular function of a human gene, then you are actually creating a monopoly, and that's not the purpose of the world of patents” (John Sulston). The articles “Patenting Life” by Michael Crichton, and “Decoding The Use of Gene Patents” written by John E. Calfee talk about the patenting of genes. Crichton and Calfee both discuss the different views on gene patenting. Crichtons position is against gene patents, while Calfee feels gene patents are beneficiary. Furthermore, the authors disagree with their views of gene patents. They have different views about the cost of the gene patent tests, the privacy of a person’s genes, and research of gene patenting.

Crichton and Calfee disagree

Crichton does not like the fact that the cost of these tests is so high. What was once a free test resulted in an expensive test because of the companies who now hold our genes. For instance Crichton (441-442) gives an example of how a Canavan disease that is an inherited disorder affects children starting at 3 months; this often affected their ability to walk or crawl, they also get seizures and eventually they will become paralyzed and die at a young age. Unfortunately there was no test to tell parents if they were at risk, but with their help in starting a research they made a test. These families around the world donated their own tissue and money to help start this research. Eventually the gene was found in 1993, the families, then got the commitment of a New York hospital to offer a free test to anyone who wanted to be tested. However the researcher’s employer, patented the gene and refused to let any doctor provide this test to their patients without having to pay a ton. This made the parents views