The United State Code deals with general as well as permanent legal
matters.The codification divides the main concerning subjects into 53 titles.
Among which, title 35 of U.S Code covers the subject matter regarding the Patent
Law, section 101 of which as stated "Whoever invents or discovers any new and
useful process,machine,manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new or
useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent thereof,subject to the
conditions and requirement of this title".
Dr. Anand Mohan Chakrabarty, the hereditary engineer of the General Electric,
cultivated a micro-organism which possessed the remarkable quality of
simplifying the complex matter of crude oil. The applicant's request for the
patent of bacterium is rejected on the grounds that the terms, "manufacture" and
"composition of matter" as mentioned in the statement above, excludes the living
subject matter.
The undertaken case,
Diamond v. Chakrabarty challenges the wide scope of
section, as the discovery of genetically engineered bacterium is analyzed as the
composition of matter and the wide scope of patentable is looked into as the
technological aspects of genetic engineering was not foreseen when the enactment
of title 35 section 101 of U.S.C had taken place.
Introduction
Statement of the fact
Working under the General Electric Co, microbiologist Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty,
after constant initiative, succeeded in task of engineering genes of a
particular bacterium of Pseudomonas genus. This strain of bacteria is naturally
occurring in environment and has the ability which helps in decomposition of
individual component of crude oil, but it had the demerit of not coexisting and
only minute portion of the bacteria could overcome the discrepancy and attack in
cumulative manner resulting in degradation into simpler substance through
consumption.
Dr.Chakrabarty, then with the intention of culturing specific kind of bacteria
which was to be purposefully used for the oil spill's controlling took entirely
separate bacteria groups and incorporated the primary genetic portion of each
respective groups into the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, a naturally occurring
bacteria.
The genetic employment process led to the invention of different previously
non-existent version of Pseudomonas which possessed the ability to break down
the complex oil matter systematically at fast rate. Dr.Chakrabarty filed an
application for the patent of the newly cultivated bacteria, through the General
Electrics, which faced the rejection on the grounds that the living things being
the product of the nature, could not be included in patentable subject matter.
The affirmations made by Dr.Chakrabarty in the applications were under three
kinds, first one being the claim on complex process, conducted for the
cultivation of Pseudomonas for bio-remediation, second claim for a substance
used in inoculations and the newly generated bacteria and lastly the claim on
the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, the bacteria itself. The reasoning presented by the
Patent Inspector as well as Board of Patent Appeals and Interference, which
affirmed with the statement that according to 35
Title section 101 of USC, living micro-organism are not patentable subject
matter,denying the application was then challenged by the Plaintiff, Dr.Anand
Mohan Chakrabarty and General Electrics in the Supreme Court of US. The court
ruled out in the favour of Plaintiff, repudiating the Board's analysis and
proclaiming that living status of micro-organisms is legally irrelevant in the
matter pertaining to the patent law.
Issues Framed:
- Can the Pseudomonas Purida, the laboratory engineered micro-organism be
included as component of "manufacture" or "composition of matter" within the
meaning of the section 101 of US code,
- Does the plaintiff's genetically engineered Pseudomonas putidais
qualifies as a patentable matter.
Legal Provision Of Issues
The immediate issue presented and the reliability upon the court in assessing if
the living- microorganism, as constituted in the scenario of Chakrabarty could
be given the status of "composition of matter" or be included in the term
"manufacture". The wide scope of the term, as stated in the Code of United
Stated under Title 35, section 101 particularly when referred with the term
"any" are clearly directed at the intention to include the various possibility
of what could be there in law of patent.
Deriving from the case of
American Fruit Growers, Inc. v. Brodgex Co,
which held that the term " Composition of matter" allows the inventor to include
various type of composition combined together as novel and inventive step.
Therefore, safely determining that the term "Manufacture" is implied when
through the methodological step, the core of raw or non-raw materials is
fundamentally changed and the result of process, irrespective of the mode being
human labour or the technology is being changed forms, new inherent qualities.
The claims made more clear through the contrast which were reflected in case of
Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co, in which the court held that
the respondent only managed to bring into the awareness, the already and
naturally existing quality of bacteria, which did not, in any way brought change
in the performance of the bacteria, hence it most definitely did not fulfil the
criteria needed in order to be novel or useful.
Arguments
The petitioner's first argument has been derived from the enactment of the 1930
Plant Patent Act,which only allowed patent protection to specifically selected
plants which are asexual in mode of reproduction .the legal allowance for patent
protection for selected sexually reproduced is granted through the 1970 Plant
Variety Protection Act, which critically excludes microorganisms from it's
protection
Respondents claims reflected the opinion that as stated in section 101, terms
manufacture or composition of matter, in not way includes living beings and if
the intention of draftsmen were otherwise, then Act would have not been in
existence.
The plaintiff's team dismissed the argument, clarifying that the distinction was
not made between living matter and a non living matter I the Plant Patent Act,
but between the categories of subject, that is whether it's human made or it's
exists in nature without help of human interventions.
Another argument presented revolved around the official authorization by
Congress regarding the issue, that is, it is to be deemed right only if the
Congress formally and publicly addresses the subject matter which is to be
covered within the meaning of 'manufacture" and "composition of matter" and
hence, the protection is made accessible to the same.
The point is made on the valid assumption that at the time of drafting of the
Act, the immense potential of genetic technology had not been discovered,
neither could it be foreseen and hence, these possibilities were not considered
when enactment of Act had taken place.
Relevant Cases Cited
In re Bergy:
According to the decision which was given in the case- In Re Bergy, the subject
matter submitted for the patent protection did not have any inventive
characteristic infused in it, but rather the process only led to slight change
and it's mere discovery. For any individual to be given the right to patent
protection, his inventions has to be novel and this factor was lacking in In re
Bergy case. However, in Chakrabarty's case, the bacteria invented had the
quality which was novel in the field of biotechnology.
Funk Brothers Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co:
The Respondent merely discovered a pre- existing property of the bacteria, which
did not under any circumstance make the microorganism perform differently.It was
only a discovery of laws of nature. The discovery did not qualify as subject
applicable for patent right. The
Respondent's combination of the bacteria was new and useful but lacked the
requirements of invention or discovery.
American Fruit Growers, Inc. v. Brodgex Co:
The outcome of this case was that the terms, "manufacture" and "composition of
matter" as mentioned in code of US, section 101, is used comprehensively with
the word "any", which provides wide scope for the patent protection for things
emerging in industrial and digital universe. Therefore, providing that living
status of any bacteria does not have any legal significance attached to it, the
bacteria becomes eligible, to be patented if required.
Judgement of the Court
The arguments as presented by the defendant claiming that the scope to include
living things is strictly not provided in section 101, which also includes
laboratory produced bacteria is rejected by the court. The Supreme Court
concluded that the criteria to be regarded as a "manufactured" matter or to
constitute as "composition of matter" is definitely and distinctively met by the
Dr.Chakrabarty 's lab generated bacteria, as implied in the section 101 of code
of United State, giving the micro-organism the status of patentable subject.
The court observed that the bacterium cultivated by the plaintiff, shows
entirely new ability of a micro-organism which does not exist in nature, that is
the refining the crude oil with efficiency and at fast speed, hence proving it's
significance in utility and it's novelty.
The Patent Act, 1952 provides space to include an alive and produced through
human labour as well as intellect, micro-organism within the definition of
"manufacture" and "composition of matter".
The bar to patent ability is to be sought regardless of living status of any
micro-organism.
Analysis of the Judgement
The court reached on it's decision through critical analysis of the facts of the
case, the obvious expression portrayed in section 101, interpretation and
application of prior legislative cases as well as the constitutional provisions
for the patent law. Markedly, the Plaintiff's genetic research on Pseudomonas
Aeruginosa is result of dexterity of a human mind, as to be able to produce a
bacteria with qualities which does not already non-naturally occur in the
nature, that is to break down crude oil's different components.
The idea whether the meaning and scope of a subject or a patentable matter, as
mentioned in section 101 of US code, could be put under a strict limitation is
largely silent in the terms in legislative history, however if narrowly traced
back, then the history seems to be agreeing with the judgement of the court as
declared in case of Dr. Chakrabarty.
The idea behind Congress's attempt to include anything, which a human being or a
layman is capable of creating or giving birth to under the statutory subject
matter is clearly highlighted in the reports published by the assigned committee
in assessment of Patent Law Re-codification,1952.
Clear indication has been given by to the principal draftsman appointed for the
1952 Re-codification Act, regarding the same through his testimony. The decision
of court also is in terms with the prevalent notion of the patent law. The
motive is to create a space for the upcoming generations to take step towards
the progression of Science along with enhancement of arts capable of birthing
through human intellect.
Constitutional objective is to grant exclusive rights to applicants for their
labour and ingenuity and to allow the citizens to witness the same. It is only
correct to associate the natural and simple meaning to the words, the little
uncertainty with regards to laboratory created micro-organism through the
biological process of recombining done at the cellular level is to to be
referred as a manufacturing component and safely regarded withing the meaning of
composition of matter.
Conclusion
The outcome of Chakrabarty case bring in the opportunity to public to tap into
the potential of offering innumerable benefits to the mankind. The Court of
Customs and Patent Appeal then complied according to the declarative released by
the court, specifying that there is no legal aspects attached to the fact
whether a microorganism is living or not and the permission to patent be given
to Dr. Chakrabarty for the bacteria, Pseudomonas Putida. In the field of
bio-technology and in areas concerning patent laws,
Diamond v. Chakrabarty
eminently contributed in innovative advancement as a landmark judgment.
Chakrabarty gained worldwide recognition because of his contribution in
biotechnology and the genetically engineered oil eating bacteria came to be
known as "superbug" The human beings coming from different areas of life
harboring original and inventive ideas gets the privilege of easy access to
licenses for the patent of microorganism or plants when put through fundamental
change at biological level ,induced externally.
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