Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/12pdf/12-398_1B7D.pdf
Page Number: 9.0

6 

ASSOCIATION FOR MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY v. 
MYRIAD GENETICS, INC.
 
Opinion of the Court 

NO:1, which codes for the typical BRCA1 gene.  689 F. 3d, 
at  1326,  n. 9;  id.,  at  1337  (Moore,  J.,  concurring  in  part); 
id., at 1356 (Bryson, J., concurring in part and dissenting 
in part).

Claim 5 of the ’282 patent claims a subset of the data in
claim 1.  In particular, it claims “[a]n isolated DNA having 
at least 15 nucleotides of the DNA of claim 1.”  App. 822.  
The practical effect of claim 5 is to assert a patent on any
series  of  15  nucleotides  that  exist  in  the  typical  BRCA1 
gene.  Because  the  BRCA1  gene  is  thousands  of  nucleo-
tides long, even BRCA1 genes with substantial mutations 
are likely to contain at least one segment of 15 nucleotides
that  correspond  to  the  typical  BRCA1  gene.    Similarly,
claim 6 of the ’282 patent claims “[a]n isolated DNA hav-
ing  at  least  15  nucleotides  of  the  DNA  of  claim  2.”  Ibid. 
This  claim  operates  similarly  to  claim  5,  except  that  it
references the cDNA-based claim 2.  The remaining claims
at issue are similar, though several list common mutations
rather  than  typical  BRCA1  and  BRCA2  sequences.    See 
ibid. (claim 7 of the ’282 patent); id., at 930 (claim 1 of the 
’473  patent);  id.,  at  1028  (claims  1,  6,  and  7  of  the  ’492
patent). 

C 

Myriad’s  patents  would,  if  valid,  give  it  the  exclusive 
right  to  isolate  an  individual’s  BRCA1  and  BRCA2  genes 
(or any strand of 15 or more nucleotides within the genes)
by  breaking  the  covalent  bonds  that  connect  the  DNA  to 
the  rest  of  the  individual’s  genome.    The  patents  would 
also give Myriad the exclusive right to synthetically create 
BRCA cDNA.  In Myriad’s view, manipulating BRCA DNA 
in  either  of  these  fashions  triggers  its  “right  to  exclude 
others  from  making”  its  patented  composition  of  matter
under  the  Patent  Act.    35  U. S. C.  §154(a)(1);  see  also
§271(a)  (“[W]hoever  without  authority  makes  . . .  any 
patented invention . . . infringes the patent”).