D'un droit de propriété intellectuelle sur le vivant aux firmes de génomique: vers une marchandisation de la connaissance scientifique sur le génome humain

Fabienne Orsi and Jean-Paul Moatti

Economie & Prévision, 2001, vol. n° 150-151, issue 4, 123-138

Abstract: This article analyses the conditions underlying the emergence of a new generation of biotechnology firms on the American market specialised in the discovery of human genes - a scientific activity previously promoted by public research systems - and the sale of these discoveries. The article shows that, within the specific growth dynamics of the biotechnology sector in the North-American context, the main factor behind the emergence of these firms has been the creation of intellectual property rights on living matter. The development of these rights has led to the patenting of scientific discoveries. The last part of the article discusses the consequences of disseminating the use of patents, particularly in Europe, and the change in status of scientific knowledge triggered by the rise of genomics firms.

Keywords: intellectual property rights; scientific knowledge; public goods; institutional changes; private firms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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