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Cell biologist files patent to draw awareness to the dangerous implications of patenting genetic material.

1997

The Story of The Patenting of Life
GEN

Stuart Newman, a cell biologist and co-founder of the Council for Responsible Genetics, files a U.S. patent application titled “Chimeric Embryos and Animals Containing Human Cells” in an attempt to draw public attention to ethical issues surrounding genetic patents.

According to Sherkow & Greely (2015): "Newman’s patent application–admitted to be political theater–attempted to claim embryos containing both human and nonhuman cells, such as chimpanzee cells...The PTO [Patent & Trademark Office] ultimately rejected the application... reiterating a 1987 policy statement: 'A claim directed to or including within its scope a human being will not be considered to be patentable subject matter.'"