ABSTRACT
Patent laws covering NCEs are well established in most developed countries. For such entities to be patentable, they must be novel, inventive and have some practical use. Furthermore, the patent applications must describe how to make the entities, and provide data to support the patent claims. The same criteria are being applied by Patent Offices to the patenting of the new generation of biotech products: genes, proteins, microorganisms, transgenic plants and transgenic animals. This feature review focuses on the patenting of these novel products.
Subject(s)
Biotechnology/legislation & jurisprudence , Patents as Topic/legislation & jurisprudence , Chemistry/legislation & jurisprudence , Genetic Engineering/legislation & jurisprudence , Microbiology/legislation & jurisprudenceABSTRACT
Whether you work for a multi-national pharmaceutical company, a biotech start-up or a university, a knowledge of the patent system is essential for understanding how best to protect the fruits of your research. The aim of this article is to give an overview of what a patent is, how you might get one and the rights that a patent confers.
