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Summary

This article explores some issues of the patenting of stem cell related inventions. The author sets out to explore whether the current practice of patenting stem cell related inventions may affect invention activity in the field of stem cells. Such impacts may principally be in the form of two opposing concepts: patents drive invention activity or patents begin to hinder the development of science in the realm of stem cell research. The article also addresses the patents issued to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) which have received a lot of worldwide attention but also caused discontent in the scientific community and among entrepreneurs. The article makes a reference to the problem of availability of biological materials and related contracts.

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