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List of contents
Contents: Biotechnology: outlining the moral debate; Development of a European moral regime; Development of patent law in the United States; Application of Article 53 European Patent Convention; Language of patent law and biotechnological inventions; Protection in the United States; Legal protection under the Biotechnology Directive 1998; Biotechnology Directive 1998: plant variety perspective; Moral concerns and patent law: recent developments; Bibliography; Index.
Summary
Advances in modern biotechnology have produced profound and far-reaching implications for the relationship between humans, animals and the environment. As a result, a debate has arisen surrounding the legal, moral and social problems connected with this technology. A central part of this debate focuses on the role of moral considerations in the patent system as a form of regulation. This book examines this role and asks why in the context of biotechnological inventions morality has become an important issue. The origin, policy and legislative history of patent law in both the United States and member countries of the European Union is examined, with particular reference to the provisions relating to morality. Examining specific cases, the author elucidates the moral concerns associated with modern biotechnology, thus providing an important contribution to the debate and a valuable resource for all those working in this exciting field.
