George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

Forty Years Since Diamond v. Chakrabarty: Legal Underpinnings and its Impact on the Biotechnology Industry and Society

U.S. Supreme Court buildingCPIP has published a new policy brief celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Diamond v. Chakrabarty decision, where the Supreme Court in 1980 held that a genetically modified bacteria was patentable subject matter. The brief, entitled Forty Years Since Diamond v. Read more

CPIP Roundup – July 31, 2020


Greetings from CPIP Executive Director Sean O’Connor

Sean O'Connor

I hope summer is seeing you healthy and safe. Over four months have passed since the Washington, D.C., area began to feel the impact of COVID-19. Now, as summer progresses and we start anticipating and planning for fall, we’re looking to navigate the new normal in the classroom, workplace, and of course in the virtual space. Read more

(Patented) Life Begins at Forty: CPIP Celebrates the Ongoing Legacy of Diamond v. Chakrabarty

The following post comes from Colin Kreutzer, a rising 2E at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at CPIP.

gloved hand assembling or dissembling a model of DNABy Colin Kreutzer

It’s been forty years since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of patentability for a GE scientist and the oil-eating bacterium he’d created, greatly expanding the scope of living matter that was eligible to be patented. Read more