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Post by pierre on Oct 31, 2010 23:01:33 GMT -5
I choose this title as the most explicit among many recent articles/blogs on this subject.
It is great news for us as plant breeders as eventually progenies of GMO plants will no longer belong to the patent owner as it is now.
It is great news for us as consummers as eventually for the manipulator food from GMO edible plants or animals will no longer be a wealth source. Inducing him/it to the higher circumspection as still being a source of responsability.
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Post by pierre on Oct 31, 2010 23:02:50 GMT -5
Full title is
US Government: Naturally Occurring Genes Should Not Be Patentable
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Post by galina on Nov 8, 2010 4:09:30 GMT -5
Full title is US Government: Naturally Occurring Genes Should Not Be Patentable From memory there was an attempt made last year to patent warts on squashes. How absurd. But there have also been attempts to patent rare DNA sequences and this is where it becomes sinister! About time a bit of common sense came to the fore here. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Nov 8, 2010 7:27:30 GMT -5
About time a bit of common sense came to the fore here. The issue here, as I see it, is defining what IS "common sense"? Personally, I stand on the sidelines in much of this as I feel I am too ignorant to put forth "real" comment and conjecture. I don't feel that humans have any business tinkering with life on a molecular level. I may not be alone in this opinion, on the other hand, I don't feel it is up to me to interfere with those who believe it is important, possibly vital to do so. The main reason I believe it is important to stand aside and allow this to unfold is that I believe this is one of the activities that will bring on the cataclysmic events that many of us are preparing for. There was a time when I felt such things should be halted at all costs. Now, my opinion is, "Bring it on!" Just let me get my garlic planted first... |
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Post by Alan on Nov 9, 2010 18:28:41 GMT -5
ahh, if only it really were the case, unfortunately it will continue because of the lack of knowledge on a regulators behalf.
As an example, my contact for nettletons creamy white blackberry owns a patent and pvp for a white blackberry, despite the fact they have existed at least since Burbank bred the first known commercial ones.
We will be in the fight against Monsanto and others for years to come I'm sure.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 10, 2010 1:54:56 GMT -5
The naturally occurring thing has always been a deciding factor for denial but never explicitly specified. I was involved in one of the last when Laurel of Heirloom Tomato Plants attempted to obtain a PVP for Goose Creek. The original history given made it sound almost like one of the first tomato varieties ever grown in the US and possibly before Thomas Jefferson. (Supposedly came from Africa in a slave ship long before any recorded history of tomatoes having been grown in West Africa.) After growing it, I decided to ruffle her feathers a bit on Tomato Mania by stating that I was going to include it in my SSE Yearbook listings the following year. I was threatened with financial ruin but nothing happened since I knew the rules and that she could never patent it. SSE ran it and I was sole seed supplier for a couple of years until several other members also listed it. I have no quarrel with the system which denied the PVP for Goose Creek or any other similar attempts. Despite claims to the contrary, they ain't going to happen.
Martin
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Post by Alan on Nov 10, 2010 9:38:13 GMT -5
Despite claims to the contrary, they ain't going to happen. Martin The fact is it has already happened. I reiterate again; Nettletons Creamy White Blackberry. |
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Post by paquebot on Nov 10, 2010 21:51:00 GMT -5
Despite claims to the contrary, they ain't going to happen. Martin The fact is it has already happened. I reiterate again; Nettletons Creamy White Blackberry. It may appear to be that way since Nettleton's berry was not the first white one. However, if Nettleton used a difference accesion of parent plants to obtain those results, then it would not have been the same. As a plant breeder, you no doubt already know that. Martin |
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Post by Alan on Nov 10, 2010 22:14:36 GMT -5
Want to know a really fun fact?
Nettleton didn't use any plants to breed that plant and he even stated that on the paperwork. It came from a wild stand he and his brother found, it doesn't get any more natural than that. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a good guy I like him a hell of a lot and consider him a friend, it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't necessarily belong to anyone or the fact that those in charge didn't check the background of the "invention".
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Post by castanea on Nov 10, 2010 23:53:31 GMT -5
Other folks have taken a successful tree fruit variety, raised a seedling that was somewhat similar, then patented and marketed the hell out of the seedling. They didn't invent anything but a marketing campaign.
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Post by paquebot on Nov 11, 2010 1:22:19 GMT -5
Want to know a really fun fact? Nettleton didn't use any plants to breed that plant and he even stated that on the paperwork. It came from a wild stand he and his brother found, it doesn't get any more natural than that. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a good guy I like him a hell of a lot and consider him a friend, it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't necessarily belong to anyone or the fact that those in charge didn't check the background of the "invention". Aren't you much happier now in knowing that that loophole has been closed?  Also, the fact that it was found as a wild mutant means that it probably wasn't connected with Burbank. Martin |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Nov 11, 2010 6:37:03 GMT -5
Nettleton didn't use any plants to breed that plant and he even stated that on the paperwork. It came from a wild stand he and his brother found, it doesn't get any more natural than that. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a good guy I like him a hell of a lot and consider him a friend, it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't necessarily belong to anyone or the fact that those in charge didn't check the background of the "invention". Are you saying that he did no breeding work at all on that plant? He simply pulled seed from a wild plant? It was stable from the first planting? Makes me wonder, what are the environmental conditions that evoked such a mutation. Wouldn't this be a indicator of something occurring in that specific area? What other sorts of species in the immediate area have also undergone or experienced the same sort of "overnight" (a presumption here) radical change? |
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Post by Alan on Nov 11, 2010 9:48:31 GMT -5
Nettleton didn't use any plants to breed that plant and he even stated that on the paperwork. It came from a wild stand he and his brother found, it doesn't get any more natural than that. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a good guy I like him a hell of a lot and consider him a friend, it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't necessarily belong to anyone or the fact that those in charge didn't check the background of the "invention". Are you saying that he did no breeding work at all on that plant? He simply pulled seed from a wild plant? It was stable from the first planting? Makes me wonder, what are the environmental conditions that evoked such a mutation. Wouldn't this be a indicator of something occurring in that specific area? What other sorts of species in the immediate area have also undergone or experienced the same sort of "overnight" (a presumption here) radical change? Not seeds, they just moved the plants to a garden. The plants were on an old homestead site so most likely explanation is that it may have been one of Burbanks earlier white blackberry experiments or else someone else was selecting in the direction of a pure white blackberry as well. That said, back in the 30's the USDA got ahold of accessions from two sites, one in southern Georgia and one just north of Gainsville Florida from previous agricultural fields which were covered with pure white fruited blackberry mutants. Theres only one gene that regulates Anthocyanin production in blackberries and it can be partially muted or completely muted. There are also yellow and pink blackberries floating around out there. And yes Martin, I'm glad the loophole has been closed, but I'll believe it when I see it. I deal with enough different types of crops and animals myself, one on one, that theres a good chance that I will come accross many more instances of this before most other people do. |
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Post by Alan on Nov 11, 2010 9:51:13 GMT -5
Other folks have taken a successful tree fruit variety, raised a seedling that was somewhat similar, then patented and marketed the hell out of the seedling. They didn't invent anything but a marketing campaign. Agree completely my friend, agree completely. Tomatoes and beans are one thing, but when there are folks like you and I interested in multitudes of crops (particularly rare fruit crops) we see a lot more of this going on than the vegetable seed saver might. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Nov 11, 2010 10:43:25 GMT -5
Not seeds, they just moved the plants to a garden. Amazing. But you say that there are white mutants in the north Florida south Georgia area? How closely could you pinpoint an exact area? Would it be worthwhile to try to collect some samples from the area? I would be possible for me to do that I think. Assuming anyone would be interested in acquiring them that is. |
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