Genetic Copyright: An Alternative Method for Protecting and Using Essential Public Knowledge Assets?

The article focuses on copyright as a possible andadditional form of intellectual property protection forengineered DNA sequences. In particular, recent progress in synthetic biology and bioengineering have triggered a resurgence of the debate on genetic copyright. Considering the evolving conception of copyright subject-matter, the current narrow patent-eligible protection over living organisms and the advance of emerging technosciences such as synthetic biology, the article looks with renewed interest at the debate on copyright law as an additional potential form of protection for engineered biological creations. The contribution of this investigation is to reveal that copyright seems not only flexible enough to handle contemporary technologies producing living organisms, but also socially preferable to patent protection for accessing and using essential public knowledge assets in the life sciences.