title: The importance of being inventive. Critics claim that patents on genes may lead to very broad monopolies and inhibit further innovation. The European patent system provides efficient legal means to address these issues.
authors.affiliation: European Patent Office, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rutz
authors.forename: Siobhán
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeats
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003405:Creativity; D005060:Europe; D005796:Genes; D036281:Genetic Research / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D010330:Patents as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018581:Technology Transfer; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence