Revised Biotech Patent Law Gets Green Light in Switzerland

The Swiss parliament recently voted in favor of a revised patent law, which will provide more protection to biotechnology discoveries such as genetic sequences. A proposal from the government stating that a patent of a genetic sequence should not be restricted to one particular purpose was approved, despite arguments that this would lead to a monopolistic research situation created by patent-holders. Justice Minister Christoph Blocher, however, said that the new Swiss law would prevent monopolies from taking root. In the issue of biopiracy, the legislation states a series of exceptions, where organisms may not be patented. These include cloning human beings and using human embryos for non-medical purposes. Patenting plant varieties and animal species is also not permitted.

Read the news article at http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/science_technology/detail/New_biotech_patent_law_gets_green_light.html?
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