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Caulfield, Timothy --- "Biotechnology Patents, Public Trust and Patent Pools: The Need for Governance?" [2009] ELECD 497; in Castle, David (ed), "The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Biotechnology Innovation" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009)

Book Title: The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Biotechnology Innovation

Editor(s): Castle, David

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781847209801

Section: Chapter 14

Section Title: Biotechnology Patents, Public Trust and Patent Pools: The Need for Governance?

Author(s): Caulfield, Timothy

Number of pages: 12

Extract:

14. Biotechnology patents, public trust
and patent pools: the need for
governance?
Timothy Caulfield1

Over the past few decades, biomedical research has caught the public
imagination like never before. The mapping of the human genome and
stem cell research, for example, are topics that have received intense media
attention. They are topics that the public cares about and, to a large
degree, they are areas of research that the public supports. However, bio-
medical research has also produced a great deal of social controversy. The
scandals associated with clinical trials, the recent Korean cloning fiasco
and the continued public debate about the moral acceptability of stem
cell research have also been the focus of the media limelight and public
debate.
Such controversies have the potential to erode confidence in the research
enterprise. In addition, the public seems to be growing increasingly skepti-
cal about the impact of commercial pressures on research ­ this at a time
when academic biomedical research has unprecedented ties with industry.
Indeed, as we will see below, many of the most high profile biomedical
research controversies are associated with industry influences (Lemmens,
2004; Morin, et al., 2002). In addition, the patenting of biological material,
such as human genes and stem cell lines, has also created a level of social
unease.
In this chapter I briefly review, by way of example, some of the
social controversies associated with the involvement of industry in con-
troversial biomedical research. I consider what the available data on
public opinion tells us ...