From owner-vect-bio@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Sat Mar 9 12:54:14 2002 Return-Path: Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2DA9017A63 for ; Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:54:13 +0000 (GMT) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 72C1917A9A for ; Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:54:10 +0000 (GMT) Received: by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 60001) id 9E28F17A63; Sat, 9 Mar 2002 12:54:08 +0000 (GMT) To: vect-bio@net.bio.net Newsgroups: bionet.biology.vectors Date: 8 Mar 2002 00:28:25 -0000 From: John Walsh Subject: patents on research tools Message-Id: <20020309125408.9E28F17A63@mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk> Sender: owner-vect-bio@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Precedence: bulk I am studying the effects of patenting on university research. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences' Science and Technology Policy Board. There has been substantial concern raised about the possibility that patents on research tools (such as genes, receptors, vectors, antibodies, assays, etc.) for biomedical research may prohibit otherwise viable research projects. However, my interviews to this point have found very little evidence that this is occuring. If you have any direct experience with a research project that was stopped because you were unable to get access to patented research tools or materials due to difficulties in negotiating the terms of access, I would like to hear about it. Similarly, if you have had projects delayed because of access negotiations, that would also be useful information. Please email me (jwalsh@uic.edu) or call 312-996-4663. I appreciate your assistance. Sincerely, John Walsh Associate Professor of Sociology University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL 60607 USA ---