INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FEATURED CONTENT
ous over naturally occurring DNA if there was no motivation to start with the naturally occurring DNA. However, if the courts import the “not an act of invention” language from the 101 analysis into an obviousness analysis in the genetic space, then patentees may have a harder time maintaining the validity of their patents.
Do you think this decision will be revisited at any point? Perhaps if in the future, further developments in the biotech space are made using natural human genes? Will attorneys need to rethink the In recent years, why is the way they draft patent Supreme Court hearing more claims? RF: With the current membership of the life sciences patent cases? Court, the chance, in my view, is very min- What did you think of Judge imal. This Court has already manifested Scalia’s concurrence on this what I would call deference to Congress; most recent matter?
that is, it is for Congress to make changes with regard to patent-eligibility of natural genes. The Court thinks what they are doing is appropriately interpreting a congressional statute and if Congress wants to change the law, then that would be fine with the Court, but they are not going to be the ones to do that. JR: The Court recognized that Myriad discovered an important and useful gene when it found the claims failed to satisfy the 101 patentability requirement. The fact that the industry continues to improve its understanding of the human genome isn’t likely to change the Court’s view on patentability. RF: The Justice Roberts Supreme Court has two characteristics: They are interested in patent cases, and they decide them very narrowly. This tends to frustrate FV?BGF?&?W?2v??&R??????rf?"'&?B'V?W2??F?R7V&?V7B??3??B?2&VV?W7F??FVBF?B???F?R7B3?V'2??fW"#cFV?G2?fR?77VVBv?F?6???2F??6??FVB?'F???2?bD????B?bFV?FVW2&V?VB??F?RU2FV?B?ff?6W>( ?2&??"??7??b???v??r7V6?6???2?????bF??6RFV?G2???6???6?VFR?F?W"G?W2?b6???2F?B&R??BffV7FVB'?F?R?&?BFV6?6????'WB?F??6R6???2F?BvW&RG&v???F?R6?Rv?2?&?N( ?2&R?bF?V'FgV?f?F?G???r?F??6Rv?F??77VVBFV?G2??6?VF??r6???2F??6??FVBvV?W2??6VV?F?&V?77VRF?V?v?W&R?76?&?R??B???R6?W?V7BF?Bv???rf?'v&B?6?G2v???6W'F????VWF??0?3 ??FV6?6???????B2F?W?G&gB6???2?F?R6?W'BvV?B?WB?b?G2v?F?6?F?B?G2FV6?6???F?B??B???6FR?F?W"G?W2?b6???2?7V6?2?WF??B6???2?"6???2G&v?F??6F???2?b???v?VFvR&?WB'F?7V?"vV?W2?$c?v?V???R&V?77VR?B??R6??vR??7V7B?bF?R6????F?W"F??F??'&?r?B???R?fRF?F?F?Bv?F???Gv??V'2?b?77V?6R?bF?RFV?B??3??B?F?W&R&R?FV?F??&?f?6F???2F?&V?77VR?7V6?2??FW'fV???r&?v?G2?6?&V?77VR?2??B7W&R???f?"FV?G2F?B6????6??FVBD??'WB?B?26W'F???&?6VGW&RF?B???V???6??R6?&7V?7F?6W2??3?F?R7W&V?R6?W'B?26??v????FW&W7B??FV?B66W2??F?R&V?bv?B6??7F?GWFW2FV?F&?R7V&?V7B?GFW"V?FW"3RU42?6V7F?????BF?W6R?77VW2?gFV?6??RW??&??FV6?66W2???&V6V?B6W&?W2?b66W2?F?R6?W'B?2&WGG?6??6?7FV?F?'V?VB??v?2F?B?'&?rF?R66?R?bV?v?&?R7V&?V7B?GFW"?"W??BF?R66?R?bF?R&V6?v?VBW?6?W6???2F?V?v?&?R7V&?V7B?GFW"?f?'7B?F?W&Rv2F?R&??6??66R?v?W&RF?R6???2?B??F???rF?F?v?F?&??FV6??'WBvW&RG&v?F??WF??B?b?VFv??r??fW7F?V?B&?6??F?R6?W'Bf?V?BF?Bv2?( ?'7G&7B?FV ( ??B7G'V6?F?v?F??6R6???2?F?V?????7B?V.( ?2&??WF?WW266R?v??6?v2?fR66?V?6W266R?F?R6???2vW&RG&v?F??WF??B?b( ??F?????~( ?G&VF?V?Bf?"6W'F?????V?RF?6?&FW'2&6VB??6?'&V?F???2v?F??WF&??FR?WfV?2?F?R6?W'Bf?V?BF??6R6???2vW&R??BFV?BV?v?&?R&V6W6RF?W?vW&RG&v?F?( ??r?b?GW&R?( ??B???r?W&R???F?R?&?B66R?F?R6?W'Bf?V?BF?BF?W6R6???2vW&RG&v?F?( ?&?GV7B?b?GW&^( ??"?GW&???67W'&??r?V???V????B7G'V6?F?V?F?v?2vV???6??F?R6?W'B?2&V??????VBBF?RF?&VRG&F?F?????&V6?v?VBW?6?W6???2?bV?v?&?R7V&?V7B?GFW"?B?27??V?&V6V?F???v?F?B&V??f?&6W2?"W??G2V6??bF??6RF?&VRW?6?W6???2?$c???R6?6?F?BFV?G2??F?R#7B6V?GW'?&R?bf?VR??&R??F?R?FV76R?BF???w2?bF?B'7G&7B?GW&R??W72F????GW7G&??G?RFV?G2?6??7W'&V?F????P??6?V?FW'7F?BF?B&V6W6R?bF?BF?R?W7F?6W2F?V?6V?fW2&V?( ?B&??BF?F?R&V?G??b?f??r??F?R#7B6V?GW'????R?VVBF??VWf?7W2??v?B?2???'F?BF?V??R?Bv?BffV7G2F?V?"?fW2???6??G&7BF?v?BvR&R6VV??r??r?F?W&Rv6?( ?B??B?b??FW&W7B'?F?R7W&V?R6?W'B??FV?B66W2??F?R??( ?2?'WBF?B6??vVB??F?R??( ?2???rF?W?&RfW'???FW&W7FVB??F?V??B?B??&RF?BF?W?&R&Vf?V7F??rF?Rf7BF?BvR&R&V6???r???f?&?F????B?FV?&?V?FVB6?6?WG??F?W6R?Wr???&R?FV?&6VB6??6WG2&Rv???rF?&Rv?fV?67'WF????&V6W6RF?W?&R6VV???rF?&R&?FV7FVBV?FW"W??7F??rFV?B?w2?v??6?vW&RFW6?v?VB?????GW7G&??W&?f"F?ffW&V?Bg&???W"7W'&V?BW&??#?FV?G2??7V6??VvR&??R?????bF?RF?ffW&V?B??GW7G&?W2F?F?F?BF?R7W&V?R6?W'BfVV?2?B?VVG2F?vV?v???F???R7W&RF?W6RFV?G2&R???&?FV7F??rv?BF?W?6??V?B&R&?FV7F??r?B6??V?B??B&R&WfV?F??r????fF???g&??v???rf?'v&B?vR6?6VR??F?R?Ww7W'2???7BWfW'?F?F?W&R&RF?67W76???2?bFV?B?F?vF???2?B?&WBF?B#?V'2v???Rv?V?F?( ?B6VRF??2????W"??6??"?F?????Ww7W'2?$c???F?R7BS?V'2?"6??F?W&R?fR&VV?&?Vv??V?v?B7W&V?R6?W'B66W2FV??rv?F?6V7F???FV?B?V?v?&??G??GFW'2?F?Rf?'7B2?bF?V?vW&RFV??rv?F?FV?F&??G??b6?gGv&R?F?W?vW&RFV??rv?F?F?B???c( ?2?B?s( ?2?&V6W6RV??RvW&RF?V?V?FW&??rF??2?Wrf?V?B?vR&R??rv?W&RV??R&R??????rBv?B??R6?FV?Bg&??'W6??W72W'7V7F?fR?6?vR&R6VV??r??B?b66W2??F?R'W6??W72?WF??G2&V?BvR&R??????rBv?BV??R6?FV?B??FW&?2?bvV?WF?72??Wr?B??FW&W7F??r?&?WB?F?R?W7F?6W2&R6??v??r&V?V7F?6RF???RV?6???Vv?6?F?fR???R6??vW2?W&R??B?B?2v??BF???rf?"F?RU2F?BF?W?&R&Wf?Wv??rF?W6RG?W2?b66W2??3?vR??F??Vv?B?W7F?6R66? ( ?26??7W'&V?6R??F?R66Rv2??FW&W7F??r??Bv2fW'?6??'B?BfW'??V?&?R6???v?VFvV?V?B?bv?B?R6VW22F?R??G2?bF?R6?W'N( ?2&??G?F?gV??V?FW'7F?B?B67W&FV?'F?7V?FRW?G&V?V?6???6FVBFV6???6??77VW2?6?v??f?6?B'B?bF?R6?W'N( ?2??????v2F?&V7FVBF?FWF??2?b???V7V?"&????w??BvRF??Vv?B?Bv2??FW&W7F??rF?BF?R6?W'Bv?V?BFWF?????G2??????2?V6?2?BF?B??F??6RFV6???6??77VW2??b??f7BF?R6?W'BF?W6?( ?BfVV???RF?W?&R&V??&?RFV6???6??F?F?6????r?dR44?T?4U2#0???