[Fungus patents: from Pasteur to the present day].
At the end of the 19(th) century, the American Patent Office granted the patent known as "Pasteur's application", claiming the protection of a yeast strain. Since that date, the debate around biotechnology patents, especially for those that affect living organisms or part of them, has grown exponentially. In the present article, the Patent Law is reviewed, pointing out the particular problems about fungi or parts of them. Also, some of the fungus patents are discussed from the perspective of the ethical, economical, social and environmental aspects of these kind of patents.
Departamento de Derecho Público, Facultad de Derecho, Universidad de León, León, España. maberalv@gmail.com
María Ángela
MÁ
Bernardo-Álvarez
D001709:Biotechnology; D005658:Fungi; D010330:Patents as Topic