Science: Genetic engineering
Open Source Genetics   (+23, -6)  [vote for, against]
Rogue Geneticists should create open source genetic projects.

In order to combat the huge agricultural corporations such as Monsanto and their ridiculous claims of intellectual property rights on gentetic code, we need a movement similiar to the Open source movement of the computer industry.

Groups of geneticists and farmers can work together to produce enhanced products without having to cater to these huge coorporations.

However, I will still just continue to buy organic to make sure I get the real thing as it was intended.
-- EvoketheTiger, Jul 26 2001

For The Military http://www.sfronlin...cles/fairytales.htm
apres vu with the rogue geneticist [key-aero, Jul 26 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

That'll be the real thing as it was intended by generations of humans selectively breeding for desirable traits then?

Like the idea though. Ties in nicely with the idea of having the human genome data in the public domain.
-- -alx, Jul 26 2001


I'm all for open source anything.
-- novox, Jul 26 2001


me too.
-- st3f, Jul 26 2001


GNU genome licensing--yeah! I'll volunteer my dna.
-- Dog Ed, Jul 26 2001


One croissant for the non jamais vu quality of the phrase "rogue geneticists".
-- The Military, Jul 27 2001


I'm in general agreeance with the idea as long as no one tries to clone my rapier like wit.
-- talamunda, Jul 27 2001


:::bravo::: Excellent idea. It seems staggering to me that Monsanto and their ilk could claim "intellectual property rights" on genetic code - rather like Sir Walter Raleigh patenting the potato. The mentality reminds me of the Eddie Izzard routine about the British Empire and flags...
"I claim this land in the name of the Queen"
"But... excuse me... em... we already live here."
"Yes... but we have a flag."

Anyhoo, a croissant from me.
-- Guy Fox, Jul 27 2001


me three
-- LoriZ, Jul 28 2001


"I claim this country in the name of the Queen"
"Er, we already live here!"
"Do you have a flag?"
"No"
"Sorry, no flag, no country."

Guy Fox, you made me giggle...! (also, I'm a bit nitpicky, in case you didn't already notice)
-- jetgrrl, Aug 01 2001


Hang on! If it's wrong for Monsanto to mess with nature and risk destroying the planet, how does that make it right for someone else to do the same thing?
-- key-aero, Aug 01 2001


That's a common feature of rants, here and elsewhere. 'It's Ok if I do it, but not if someone I don't like does it.'
-- angel, Aug 01 2001


[key-aero] and [angel], I'd say that the point isn't that genetic research and/or experimentation is wrong per se, but that *ownership* of genetic code is a far more questionable issue. [EvoketheTiger]'s idea would not prevent Monsanto et al from carrying out their R&D. It wouldn't even stop them from claiming property rights on their own work. It might make genetic data more accessible to universities and R&D departments of smaller companies though, without them having to worry about having to pay out huge wads of cash.

And... cheers, [jetgrrl].
-- Guy Fox, Aug 01 2001


Terrific. Then, instead of the SirCam virus doing annoying things to my private files, I can worry about some anonymous genekiddies spreading a virus that does annoying things to my private parts. At least if Monsanto creates exploding corn or what not, we can put them all up against a wall before civilization ends.
-- centauri, Aug 01 2001



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