Science losing in patent race: Sulston

The huge trend towards "competitive greed" is having serious consequences for science and innovation internationally, according to eminent British geneticist Sir John Sulston.

Sulston, one of the speakers at tonight's delegates forum 'Public vs private science: who wins?' at the XIX International Congress of Genetics, believes science has been the big loser as both private companies, universities and publicly-funded research agencies lock up fundamental discoveries with broad patents.

Sulston argues that very broad patents that restrict scientists' access to basic tools for genetic research are having a chilling effect on research, and restricting communication between researchers.

"We want cures, applications for discoveries and other good things, but if we create a climate of excessive ownership and secrecy, in which everything has to be owned and protected, it just slows everything down," he said.

"It's already happening -- even scientists in the US are saying that it is increasingly difficult to exchange materials they need to make progress in their research.

"Even the universities are starting to get caught up, because they are constrained by state funding agencies to exploit new discoveries for profit, wherever possible. They patent far too many things, and give exclusive contracts to private companies to exploit those patents -- it builds barriers, and causes research to be repetitious."