No Patents On Life

To coincide with International Women’s Day, March 7th saw a visit paid to the offices of Abel and Imray, solicitors acting for Biocyte, the US Biotechnology company which holds the patent for human umbilical cord blood cells. The patent gives Biocyte complete control over the extraction and the use of cells and subsequent therapies developed.

The group occupied their offices and hung a banner out the window reading ‘No Patents on Life!’, meanwhile out on the street there was a very pregnant lady present with a bar code on her stomach; this symbol of commodification highlighting the point of the action. Passers-by were at first bemused by the whole scene, though eager to accept leaflets telling them more. A spokesperson from the group said; “Biocyte want to own parts of people and these lawyers have a hand in smoothing the path for this to happen. As well as this they are abusing the patent laws. Patents are meant to be granted on inventions, not discoveries, and umbilical cord blood cells are certainly not inventions!”

This action was part of an international campaign to raise awareness and direct concerned members of the public to call on their MEPs to ensure that the forthcoming European Patent Directive will not permit the Patenting of Life. For more information contact No Patents On Life! at the Women’s Environmental Network on: 0171 247 3327.