Can someone else own your DNA?

Apparently, someone just might be able to hold a patent on your genes.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_patent



http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episod ... nts/142945

I can see a process of detection being patented, but the gene itself? C'mon.

Thoughts?

Never hold up through all of the courts. Definitely one of those retarded laws someone snuck into the books for personal gain and is going to take a high profile case to get corrected.

If someone owns your DNA, then would that mean that they own your life? That doesn't seem ethically or morally right. That would be like joebert saying he owns bigwebmasters DNA, therefore he controls bigwebmaster.

I agree completely. It is very precarious morally and ethically - not to mention the other ramifications. However, looking over what's been done in the past and what's going on today, there's a lot of grey area. It seems to be where the battle is playing out.

DNA ownership kind of brings cloning and stem cell research into the debate as well, which opens it up to religious debate.