Federal regulators said they are preparing to toss out three key patents related to human embryonic stem cells, an action that could ease concerns over commercial control of the nascent work.The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, an arm of the University of Wisconsin that controls the school's patents, owns the patents and has 60 days to respond and seek to change the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's ruling, issued Friday. The ruling was made public Monday by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Public Patent Foundation, which challenged the validity of the patents.
"This is a great day for scientific research," said John Simpson of the Santa Monica-based taxpayers foundation.
University of Wisconsin researcher Jamie Thomson was the first to isolate human embryonic stem cells in 1997 and the university patented his discovery and has been collecting fees from researchers since.
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Screw it -- hurray for tossing obstructive patents!!