VOA慢速英语:U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Human Genes Are Not Patentable

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that businesses cannot control the rights to human genes in their natural state. Patients' rights groups are calling the decision a victory. The court, however, left room to protect the patent ownership rights on some other important biotechnology applications.
美国最高法院最近裁定，企业不能有控制自然状态人类基因的权利。病人权利组织称该决定是一次胜利。然而，法院为保障其它一些重要的生物技术应用的专利所有权留有一定空间。

The court's decision was in a case involving the biotechnology company Myriad Genetics. The company had identified human genes that increase a woman's risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. The company applied for and was given exclusive rights  over the use of those genes.
法院的裁决是针一宗对涉及美国Myriad Genetics公司的案件。该公司已经确定了增加妇女乳腺癌和卵巢癌风险的人类基因，该公司申请并获得了这些基因的独家使用权。

Attorney Sandra Park works with the American Civil Liberties Union. She says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has been allowing patents on some DNA for 30 years.
Sandra Park律师是美国公民自由联盟的一员。她说30年来，美国专利商标局一直在批准一些DNA专利。

"What was problematic about these patents was that Myriad was able to use those patents to stop other laboratories from providing genetic testing, even when those other laboratories were using different methods."
“关于这些专利是有问题的，Myriad公司可以使用这些专利阻止其它实验室进行遗传基因测试，即使这些实验室采用不同的方法。”

Miss Park says that means that genetic testing for increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer cost more because of the lack of competition. And she says the gene patent prevented patients from getting a second medical opinion based on some other test.
Park小姐称，这意味着由于缺乏竞争，针对患有乳腺癌和卵巢癌风险增加的基因检测要花费更多。而且她说，基因专利妨碍病人获得基于其它测试的第二种医疗意见。

But the Supreme Court has now rejected this type of patent, all nine justices agreed that because genes are products of nature, they can not be owned by one business.
但是，最高法院现在已经否决了这种类型的专利。所有九名大法官一致同意，因为基因是自然产物，不能被任一公司拥有。

Lisbeth Ceriani helped bring the case against Myriad. She is a breast cancer survivor who struggled to pay for Myriad's test.
Lisbeth Ceriani帮助了这宗反对Myriad的案件。她是一名乳腺癌幸存者，她努力的地支付了Myriad公司的检测费用。

"Our genes are not being held hostage by a private corporation anymore. We have the right to know that our doctor can look at our own genes to see what information is there."
 “我们的基因不能被一家私人公司所挟持。我们有权利知道，我们的医生可以查看我们的基因，看看有什么样的信息。”

Health activists say the ruling will lower costs and improve testing for breast and ovarian cancer, and other conditions for which companies have gene patents.
健康活动人士称，该判决将会降低乳腺癌和卵巢癌以及被公司拥有基因专利的其它疾病的检测成本，并提高其检测技术。

Myriad Genetics also created man made versions of the genes and patented those, too. These versions are called complimentary DNA  or cDNA. For example, cDNA is used to make insulin to treat people with diabetes.
Myriad Genetics公司也创造了人造基因版本，并申请了专利。这些版本被称为互补DNA或cDNA。例如，互补DNA被用于制造治疗糖尿病患者的胰岛素。

The Supreme Court said patents on such man made genes are permitted because cDNA does not exist in nature.
最高法院称，这种人造基因专利是允许的，因为互补DNA不存在于自然界。

Jennifer Swize is a lawyer for Myriad Genetics.
Jennifer Swize是Myriad Genetics公司的律师。

"To Myriad, the decision is a win. For all practical purposes, companies like Myriad use the cDNA claims to do their testing."
“对于Myriad公司来说，该裁决是一个胜利。从实际用途来说，像Myriad一样的公司是使用互补DNA进行他们的检测。”

Myriad's stock price grows after the Supreme Court gave its ruling on June, 13th, this suggested that investors saw the decision as a good one for the biotechology industry.
最高法院在6月13日作出裁决之后，Myriad公司的股票价格涨了。这表明，投资者认为这一裁决为生物技术产业的一大利好。