All patents do is prevent the theft of a company's gene-based genome inventions by another company.
Patents do not confer ownership of the invention and do not inhibit academic research that is not part of a commercial venture. We have a hundred years of genome research to do and we need the full participation of the public and private sectors to understand what this genetic information means. BIO represents more than 900 companies, academic institutions and biotech associations in 47 states and 26 nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.