Even though scientific secrecy can be maddening in cases such as this, patents are very much a part of science. In today's environment, when even organisms and equations are being patented, filing a patent application can be complicated—especially the first time around. Here, for Scientists faced with the formidable and confusing process of applying for a patent, are some frequently asked questions-along with the corresponding answers.
In recent years, the scope of what can be patented has broadened appreciably. Since 1982, for example, algorithms have been patentable, reversing the long-standing consideration of these mathematical expressions as scientific truths, therefore exempt from patent protection.
A molecule, cell, or organism is patentable if it does not exist in nature. This might be a change as minor as an amino acid substitution in a protein, or as inventive as artificial seeds. Merely determining the sequence of a protein or gene isn't patentable, unless ...
