Patenting of genome research results

In light of the enormous investments for the sequencing of genomes and the subsequent development of pharmaceuticals, obtaining patents for these results is a major goal of companies working in this area. This article focuses on the present situation concerning the possibility to obtain patent protection for genome research results, in particular at the European Patent Office (EPO), in the US and in Japan. Trilateral projects have recently been established to consolidate the cooperation for the administration of the practice to search, examine and grant patent applications in order to gain possible mutual benefits. Accordingly, this article aims to assist people working in the field of genomic research to understand the basic principles of obtaining patents for DNA inventions in light of the practice of the EPO, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japanese Patent and Trademark Office (JPTO).