FOCUS: THE ART OF THE SCIENCES If patents exist to protect inventors-and ensure society continues to benefit from creativity and innovation-should they also deny crucial medications to people of the developing world? Such is the story of one single mother who after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis was unable to afford a life saving BRCA1 BRCA 2 gene test because the gene was patented by a corporation. Patents filed in the U.S. today bear little resemblance to those granted even 30 years ago; they have become tools to clinch market domination, conceal mediocrity, and manipulate world trade. Everything from a pre-existing human gene to crops grown for centuries can be patented, sometimes with just a description. The patent holders then can decide how much people must pay to test for that gene or plant that seed, thereby allowing access only to those who can afford the privilege. With its imaginative use of graphics and insightful interviews with key players from the Bay Area, The Patent Wars reveals the wholesale abuse of the system but offers hope from dedicated opponents of the current US patent structure working to promote innovation and share its bounty. NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF GERMANY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE TO CELEBRATE LIFE BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION
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