Biotechnology, Patents & Morality

Booknews

The proceedings of an international workshop held in January 1996 in Ghent, the Netherlands, to work toward consensus among various spheres such as science, law, philosophy, and religion on problems that attend the patenting of inventions in biotechnology and on the fundamental moral permissibility of such inventions and techniques. The 32 papers cover scientific aspects; public perceptions; ethical, social, and cultural aspects; the legal framework in Europe and the US; and the case for and against patenting. They demonstrate the tension between academia and industry on the question. Some papers include notes and other do not. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.