Patents !

For centuries we have been well served by our system of patent protection. If some scientist figures out that mixing Chemical A with Chemical B - and adding a dash of Chemical C - results in a brew that instantly abolishes headaches he can patent that combination and have the sole right to manufacture it for the next twenty years.

It's not all beer and skittles ! Before he starts making money he has to satisfy the health safety authorities by numerous tests and that could shave years of his time protection.

He also has to pay to promote and advertise his product. Just look how many headache mixtures are sitting on chemist's shelves - and remember that not all of them are best sellers - making money for their owner.

At the end of that twenty years the patent expires, and anybody can then use the formulae and produce an identical product. The price crashes - and the public has access to wonderful products that are now on the " cheap and cheerful " list.

But we have entered into a new era - the fascinating world of the human genome !

Science is now beginning to understand that we can manipulate the building blocks of the double helix that are our human bodies. Diseases may be prevented and life itself may be prolonged - but should that be available for patent protection ?

Should a big drug company have the right to control a manipulation of the human genome to bring about the control of an otherwise fatal disease - and demand a fee of their choosing to allow this life saving procedure to be carried out ?

Remember ! This is not mixing chemicals that may be derived from a plant, or extracted from a mineral. This is the body we inhabit, parts of which may become the property of somebody with a piece of paper that gives them the right to yea or nay our very existence.

Obviously nobody is going to spend billions to create cures using gene therapy unless they get a return on their money, but are we willing to hand the right to our genetic code away in exchange for cures that may only be available to those with the wealth to pay a fat fee ?

And is this acceptable - or not ?

Decision time on planet Earth !