HGPI

Human Genome Project Information Archive
1990–2003

Archive Site Provided for Historical Purposes


Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program

Human Genome News Archive Edition
go to list of issues »

Human Genome News, January-June 1997; 8:(3-4)

HUGO Calls for Patent Policy Changes

The Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) released a statement in May appealing for a change in international patent policies to encourage fast release and free availability of DNA sequencing data in the international Human Genome Project. The statement asks for a grace period to file for a patent after announcing a discovery, a policy already in effect in the United States.

HUGO also urged the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to rescind its position on granting patents for gene fragments called ESTs. In February, PTO Deputy Director Lawrence Goffney was quoted as saying that PTO decided to grant patents on ESTs based on their usefulness as probes, even through the biological function of a gene fragment may be unknown. Researchers who merely identify the fragment may thus have a prior claim when other uses of the fragment --based on its biological function--are identified in the future.



Back to Table of Contents

The electronic form of the newsletter may be cited in the following style:
Human Genome Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Human Genome News (v8n3).

Human Genome Project 1990–2003

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international 13-year effort, 1990 to 2003. Primary goals were to discover the complete set of human genes and make them accessible for further biological study, and determine the complete sequence of DNA bases in the human genome. See Timeline for more HGP history.

Human Genome News

Published from 1989 until 2002, this newsletter facilitated HGP communication, helped prevent duplication of research effort, and informed persons interested in genome research.