Biotech Century

Supreme Court Challenge of the First Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Patent Claim

Provided the main amicus curiae brief on behalf of the US Patent Office in landmark Supreme Court case. In 1980, U.S. scientist Ananda Chakrabarty applied for the first patent on a living organism — a genetically engineered bacterium able to digest oil spills. The case ended up in the US Supreme Court. Jeremy Rifkin, on behalf of his organization, then called the People's Business Commission (PBC), filed the only amicus brief supporting the Patent Office's decision to deny Chakrabarty a patent.