User:Ecoffey92/sandbox

Ethics
The patenting of genes is a controversial issue in the area of bioethics. There are three main concerns voiced about genetic patenting. First, some groups of people believe that it is unethical to have a patent on genetic material because it treats life as a commodity. Second, others say that living materials occur naturally, and therefore, should not be able to be patented. Some also fear that allowing patents on genetic material will undermine the dignity of people and other animals by subjecting their genes to ownership by other people. While some feel that having a patent on living material is unethical, others believe that not allowing patents on biotechnological inventions would also be unethical. Supporters of this idea say that allowing patents lets the public, as well as policy makers, have an entity to hold accountable, the owner of the patent. These supporters are in favor of biological patents because they require disclosure of information to the public. Agreements such as the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) require members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to have intellectual property protection laws in place for most biological innovations. Because of this, it is not likely that many countries will prohibit patents on genes altogether. Although some say that having a patent on a gene turns people into a commodity, there are other people who disagree. Other people say that patenting genes only commodifies life if a patent is obtained on an entire human. These groups argue that having patents on single body parts does not violate human dignity. Another area that creates controversy in the issue of gene patenting is how the gene samples are obtained. Prior consent is required for collecting genetic samples. When collecting samples from people, consent needs to be obtained from the national and community level, as well as the individual level. Controversies have come about when consent from all three levels of decision making is not obtained by researchers. Benefit sharing also comes into question when obtaining genetic samples. The question of whether the collector of the sample has any ethical responsibility to share any benefits or profits of the discoveries with the population or person from whom the sample came. The last major issue involving gene patents is how the patents are used post-issuance. The problem over which many people express concern is that the patents will be very expensive and inaccessible to some degree due to conditions the patent owner sets. Limited access like this would directly areas such as institutes, agriculture, and university researchers. People argue that holders of biotechnology patents exploit their rights in order to make larger profits. They also argue that the patent holders do this at the risk of people such as farmers, healthcare patients, and any other user of the patented technology. Although using a patent in order to increase profit is considered unethical by some, it is considered ethical by others. Without these patents, many companies could not raise and invest the money they need to make significant medical contributions.