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Myles Jackson (Princeton): Property, Ownership, and Identity: Genes and Intellectual Property in the 21st Century

Talk at the History of Science Department's Colloquium

01.07.2021

when: 1 July 2021, 4-6 pm

where: Colloquium of the Department for the History of Science 

The event will take place over zoom. We also use "Moodle" for texts and pre-recorded videos for the colloquium. In order to participate, please contact: wg@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

This talk discusses the main legal theories of ownership that have shaped, and have been shaped by, genetic information. These theories have become particularly relevant now that private genomics companies, such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA (the genetic testing company of Ancestry.com), are selling access to their databases containing their clients' genetic information to various interested third parties. While one may naïvely think that these customers 'own' their DNA, the situation is much more complicated. This lecture details the ownership of genetic information as property, which can potentially be converted into future financial gain. In short, I shall discuss the 'constructedness' and instability of expertise, ownership, knowability, privacy, and the so-called genetics of 'race.'

For further information on Myles Jackson click here.