Curley Duncan, Sharples Andrew
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP, London, UK.
J Biolaw Bus. 2006;9(3):12-6.
Patents may be refused in Europe on ethical grounds. Whereas in the past this issue has arisen only infrequently, recent developments in human embryonic stem cell research have given rise to conflicting opinions in Europe as to the approach that should be adopted in relation to patents. The United Kingdom Patent Office has adopted a positive policy towards inventions involving human embryonic stem cells, but the European Patent Office has to date refused to grant patent applications involving similar subject-matter. A series of legal questions on the role of ethics in granting European patents is now to be considered for clarification by the European Patent Office. The answers to these questions should eventually resolve the debate on the patenting of human embryonic stem cells throughout Europe.
在欧洲，专利可能会因伦理原因被驳回。过去这个问题很少出现，但人类胚胎干细胞研究的最新进展在欧洲引发了关于专利相关应采取何种方法的相互冲突的观点。英国专利局对涉及人类胚胎干细胞的发明采取了积极政策，但欧洲专利局迄今为止拒绝授予涉及类似主题的专利申请。欧洲专利局现在将考虑一系列关于伦理在授予欧洲专利中作用的法律问题，以进行澄清。这些问题的答案最终应能解决整个欧洲关于人类胚胎干细胞专利的争论。
