Can Human Genes Be Patented?

The Supreme Court considered the question, “Can human genes be patented?” when it heard oral arguments in the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. Case materials, legal commentary, and reports of the oral arguments are available on www.scotusblog.com. The Washington Post reported after the oral arguments, “The Supreme Court on Monday seemed skeptical that a human gene can be patented but also worried about what a decision to bar such patents would mean for private scientific inquiry and research.”