Patent laws challenged

EUROPE's biotechnology patent laws are
to be challenged by the Netherlands in
the European Court. The case will
restart a longstanding debate over the
legitimacy of patenting biotech inventions based on living organisms. This
could prove to be a major setback for the European pharmaceutical industry.
In May 1998, the European parliament passed a legislation permitting patents
on organisms and gene sequences, with the exception of technology relating to the cloning of humans or the
commercial use of embryos. But the Dutch government has challenged the
law on procedural grounds. "We find
patents for plants and animals unethical," said a spokesperson for the min-
istry of economic affairs. The court case
could take up to two years to resolve
and may cause problems for drug companies seeking to file patents.