Patentierung von Leben [en]

Das Europäische Parlament hat den rechtlichen Schutz biotechnologischer Erfindungen mit der Richtlinie 98/44/EG abgesichert. Diese Richtlinie etabliert harmonisierte Standards, um das Innovationspotential und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von Wissenschaft und Industrie in der EU zu fördern. Sie legt fest, welche Erfindungen auf der Basis von Pflanzen, Tieren oder dem menschlichen Körper patentiert werden dürfen und welche nicht. Der Richtlinie zufolge müssen die Mitgliedsstaaten die Patentierung von Erfindungen, die eine industrielle Anwendung finden können, unter bestimmten Bedingungen zulassen. Die Kommission hat Vertragsverletzungsverfahren gegen neun Mitgliedsländer eingeleitet, die die Richtlinie innerhalb der festgelegten Frist vom 30. Juli 2000 nicht in innerstaatliches Recht umgesetzt haben.

Milestones

The Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions has not yet been implemented in all Member States because of strong opposition to patenting human, animal and plant genetic material.

The Commission sent reasoned opinions to nine Member States (Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden) in December 2002, regarding their failure to transpose the Directive into national law. The sending of a reasoned opinion is the second stage of formal infringement proceedings. If the Commission does not receive a satisfactory reply within two months, it may decide to refer the Member States concerned to the Court of Justice.  

Policy Summary

The Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions entered into force in July 1998. It systematically adapts the rules of the law of patents to the sphere of biotechnology to provide biotechnological inventions with an equal level of protection by patent in all the EU Member States.

Issues

It contains a number of definitions and rules on interpretation what can and cannot be patented, and to resolve demarcation problems that arise with the patenting of new plant varieties.

The directive contains provisions intended to harmonise the issuing of patents by different offices and to lead to uniform legislation. It also defines the scope of the protection provided by a patent on a biotechnological invention.

Opponents to the directive say that living things are not inventions and therefore cannot be patented. Many scientific and non-governmental organisations demand a suspension of the directive.