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<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>This looks like it:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 2014
Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility. <EM>Federal
Register</EM>. 16 December 2014;79(241):74618-74633: <A
href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-16/pdf/2014-29414.pdf">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-12-16/pdf/2014-29414.pdf</A></FONT></DIV>
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style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=patricia_deangelis@fws.gov
href="mailto:patricia_deangelis@fws.gov">De Angelis, Patricia</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org
href="mailto:mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org">mpwg</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 12, 2015 6:35
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [MPWG] Fwd: Science News in
Depth</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV>A recent Science article (below) describes latest guidance from the U.S.
patent office regarding patents on nature and mentions a public comment period
that is open until March. I was unable to locate the actual notice for
public comment on the USPTO website; if anyone else knows where to find it,
please share it with the list.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Intellectual Property Rights are important when it comes to medicinal
plants. US law does not currently allow patents to be taken directly on
natural compounds that are readily found in nature (and this new guidance does
not change that). Rather, patents are allowed on the processes used to arrive
at those compounds, though the natural compound is generally the ultimate
"target." </DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>So the questions that arise concern the balance between traditional
healthcare knowledge and drug discovery (which often relies on traditional
knowledge to zero in on compounds). Should individuals, researchers, or
companies claim patent rights to natural plant compounds that are part of
traditional knowledge systems handed down over the centuries? How do we ensure
that a patent does not infringe on people's ability to continue using these
plants for medicine? </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; LETTER-SPACING: 1px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; COLOR: rgb(153,153,153); FONT-SIZE: 10px">Intellectual
Property</DIV>
<DIV
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-SIZE: 15px"><STRONG><A
href="http://app.aaas-science.org/e/er?utm_source=eloqua&s=1906&lid=54385&elq=6a9ac465573c4909b71ba969cfdb0de0"
target=_blank>U.S. patent office reworks unpopular policy</A></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia; COLOR: rgb(102,102,102); FONT-SIZE: 12px">Kelly
Servick</DIV>
<DIV style="LINE-HEIGHT: 20px; COLOR: rgb(68,68,68); FONT-SIZE: 12px">
<P>The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is again changing how it
evaluates inventions derived from nature. Recent Supreme Court decisions,
including a 2013 ruling that struck down patents on human genes, forced USPTO
to tighten its rules about what is eligible for patent protection. But the
agency drew fire with its first attempt to set a new standard this past March,
which raised the eligibility bar for many biotech products. Critics warned
that they would chill investment and render new therapies and diagnostics
unpatentable. USPTO is now seeking feedback on a revised set of guidelines,
which many of those critics see as an improvement, though it's not yet clear
how they will be implemented.</P></DIV></DIV>Full Science article: <A
href="http://www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagazine/09_january_2015?folio=113#pg13">http://www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagazine/09_january_2015?folio=113#pg13</A>
<DIV><BR></DIV></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's Medicinal
Plant Working Group mailing
list<BR>MPWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR>http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org<BR><BR>To
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the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.<BR><BR>Disclaimer<BR>Any advice
given on this list regarding diagnosis or treatments etc. reflects ONLY the
opinion of the individual who posts the message. The information contained in
posts is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical
advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. All medical
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