PATENT to Human Genome Ruled INVALID – Major Victory for the PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE MOVEMENT

A new ruling by the New York federal court declared illegal and invalid the Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation owned patents to the BRCA genes . The patent was restricting both scientific research and patients’ access to medical care. The lawsuit filed by ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation argued that patents on human genes violate the First Amendment and patent law because genes are “products of nature.”

20% of the 2000 human genes (gene maps) have already been patented. These patents prevent anyone from further research into the patented gene without permission or paying a royalty to the patent owner. All existing gene patents will likely be reviewed, and many overturned.

BRCA genes are known to be associated with hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Myriad & Univ of Utah’s patent to the BRCA gene was severely limiting competitive research into the causes of breast cancer and the development of new methods for detection and prevention of breast cancer.

Daniel B. Ravicher, Executive Director of PUBPAT and co-counsel in the lawsuit said: “No one invented genes. Inventions are specific tests or drugs, which can be patented, but genes are not inventions.”

CAMPUS-BASED PUBLISHING: Building a New E-book Publishing Platform for a University Press

Discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing campus-based publishers, specifically in regard to academic e-books.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a grant to a consortium of NYU U Penn, Temple, and Rutgers Presses, to brainstorm and recommend how university presses might collaborate and build new publishing models for e-books.

HIGHLIGHTS from Monica’s Talk:

The aim is to jointly build ONE PLATFORM that can eventually be used by any academic press anywhere in the world.

The strategy reminds me of the Public Knowledge Project’s vision when they began developing OJS open source software 10 years ago.

Academic E-BOOKS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT from e-journals, largely because 75-80% of e-books buyers are INDIVIDUALS (therefore buying single books). As opposed to e-journals for whom 99% of their purchase are libraries. Ergo: e-books sales are mostly BtoC, but e-journals are BtoB.

The intended business model is not open access. They intend to sell the content online.

They plan to develop a REVENUE SHARE MODEL where a percentage of revenues is paid to the author.

Two friends of mine: Judy Luther and October Ivins are consulting on the project ;-D

Monica McCormik, of NYU Press, had a webinar on November 20, which was taped and posted on SPARC’s website. Watch the complete talk with Q&A (1 hour) here= http://blip.tv/file/2916345