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Eidgenössische Ethikkommission für die Biotechnologie im Ausserhumanbereich EKAH
Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology ECNH
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Patents on plants and animals
The possibility of patenting inventions based on living organisms is a hotly debated topic, among the general public as well. An initial consultation procedure for a partial revision of the Patents Act was carried out in April 2002. Because of the very divisive responses, a second consultation was held in 2004.
There is consensus in the ECNH about the principle of protecting intellectual property, including in biotechnology. Whether patents are a suitable way of ensuring this protection, however, is considered by members of the Committee in a varying, sometimes even confrontational way:
A study commissioned by the ECNH and published as a book considers the various moral aspects of patenting genes and gene sequences:
Statements on the drafts of the revised Patents Act (in German):
Last updated on: 04.06.2009