Question

Define the following Biopatent.

Answer 1

Hint: A patent is the right given by a government to an inventor to prohibit the commercial use of his invention by others. This leads to a research programme driven not by need, but by patentability and profitability. It gives power over resources for food and medicine to the patent holder monopoly.

Complete answer:
A biopatent is a patent issued by the government to the inventor for and for goods obtained by, biological entities. It enables the patent holder, for a limited period of time, to prohibit anyone from making, using, selling or importing the protected invention.
Biological patents vary in nature and scope across jurisdictions, and can include biological inventions and products, genetically modified organisms and genetic materials. The topic of controversy is the applicability of patents to substances and processes which are wholly or partly natural in nature.
Applications for patents on biological innovations are reviewed under the umbrella of biotechnology in compliance with general patent guidelines. In response to requests for further clarification, the BPOs set out basic criteria for innovations related to biology. They have continued to update these guidelines over the time to explain their implementation to new technologies. The patent scope within the biotechnology industry has been broadened by these amendments.

Note: A contentious topic in terms of bioethics is the patenting of genes. Some argue that patenting genetic material is unethical because it considers life as a product, or that it violates the integrity of humans and animals by enabling gene ownership. Some argue that living materials are naturally occurring, and should therefore not be patented. The position of the American Medical Association is that gene patents limit patients' access to genetic testing and impede genetic disorder studies.