******** Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 19:31:34 -0700 To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> From: Peggy Richardson - mer-IT Consulting <peggy@mer-it.com> Subject: Interesting DNA/Cloning markeitng idea Hello Mr. McCullagh, You must have already seen this, but just in case not, I thought you and your politechbot readers might find this interesting. Only in America would someone find a way to sell you the rights to something you already own by birthright. (My question is, what if I rush out and copyright Michael Jordan's DNA tomorrow? Can I then legally clone him without his permission? What an interesting retirement income plan.) Good day, Peggy in Canada http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1492000/1492859.stm [excerpt] Wednesday, 15 August, 2001, 17:59 GMT 18:59 UK US firm offers stars DNA copyright A privately-held corporation in the United States is trying to persuade famous individuals to copyright their DNA. The DNA Copyright Institute, San Franscisco, wants stars to use its services to strengthen their legal position should anyone decide to clone them against their will. [see link above for rest of article] ******** Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:28:05 -0700 From: Mark Hefflinger <markat_private> Subject: personal DNA copyrighting service To: declanat_private Declan, thought you may find this interesting. It is truly too bizarre. So what do they do to "infringers," exterminate them and seek damages of up to $150,000 per incident/clone? I can hear Judge Patel now: "No. No. Do you understand, Mr. Boies? All duplicate Tom Cruises must be 100% dead before these proceedings may continue." -mark http://www.prnmedia.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=107&STORY=/www/story/08-14-2 001/0001554408&EDATE= World's First Personal DNA Copyright Service Launched SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In a ground-breaking development on the issue of cloning and the rights of the individual, the DNA Copyright Institute today announced that it has begun providing DNA Copyright Services to the public. According to a DNA Copyright Institute spokesperson, "With the advent of cloning technology, in the U.S. or abroad, you will also see the beginning of a new type of commerce -- trading in the acquired DNA of desirable celebrities. We anticipate that a number of celebrities such as musicians, models, actors, and athletes will see the immediate and long-term benefit of establishing their DNA Copyright to protect themselves. Any celebrity will tell you that they have fans out there excited enough to try cloning if it were available, regardless of the cost." As with many new technologies, cost probably won't be a factor for long, though local legislation will. Chief Legal Counsel Matthew Marca said that the Institute provides the world's first and only Personal DNA Copyright Service. According to Marca, "The question that we're addressing is who has the copyright to your individual DNA pattern, the DNA fingerprint absolutely unique to you and no one else? The answer according to Copyright law is 'you.' We believe that both now and in the future a service like this is required to deter DNA theft and misappropriation across international lines." DNA fingerprinting has reached the point where an individual's unique DNA pattern can be detected, illustrated, and used to establish ownership. If a person had a justifiable suspicion that someone was their clone, a simple DNA pattern test with a 100% match would confirm it. Regardless of local laws on the permissibility of cloning, the internationally applicable and personally enforceable law would be that of Copyright infringement. States the DNA Copyright Institute founder, businessman and author Andre Crump, "The hard truth is that no law can completely prevent crime, but it can deter them and support the pursuit of justice. That concept is the basis of our Copyright, Patent, and Trademark laws. There's been a lot of talk about 'designer genes,' but in our opinion every individual is a 'designer original,' and Copyright law supports this view." The DNA Copyright Institute, Inc. uses a nationwide network of DNA Testing partners to quickly process Client DNA, then compares the results within its proprietary internal database of DNA copyright patterns to protect against fraud or multiple submissions, and establishes the results for the Client in a copyrightable format. Through the DNA Copyright Institute process, Clients can establish copyright protection, guaranteeing legal recourse so that their Personal DNA Pattern cannot be duplicated in printed, electronic, photographic, or biological form. The cost of the service is all inclusive. Optional registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is an additional fee, but is not required to establish a legal Copyright. "The concept has short and long-term legs," says Board member and technology industry strategist Sally Sheward. "Other firms desiring to provide this service will need to compare their results to the DNA Copyright Institute's database in order to guarantee against fraud or multiple submissions, or offer it as an Institute partner. The DNA Copyright Institute has seen the need, especially among people in the high-risk category for DNA theft or misappropriation, and reacted to it." The DNA Copyright Institute website is located at http://www.DNAcopyright.com. About the DNA Copyright Institute, Inc. Founded in 2001, The DNA Copyright Institute (DNACI) provides services for individuals seeking to show ownership of their personal DNA, and to protect it against future actions such as DNA theft, cloning, and other unauthorized activities. The first of its kind and a trailblazing pioneer, the DNA Copyright Institute partners with leading firms in the Legal, Biotech, Entertainment, and Sports industries to provide the top services in this field. Click here SOURCE DNA Copyright Institute, Inc. Web Site: http://www.DNAcopyright.com CONTACT: Sarah Walpole of The DNA Copyright Institute, Inc.,+1-718-840-0403 Mark Hefflinger Editor Digital Media Wire 323 654 9473 (WIRE) 323 654 9483 (fax) markat_private www.digitalmediawire.com ******** Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 00:58:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Charles Platt <cpat_private> To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Cc: <cpat_private> Subject: Constitutional Empowerment? Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.33.0108100054070.8066-100000at_private> Errors-To: cpat_private MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-UIDL: 3e994a4736e0c76163305432a3172e08 In Bush's speech on stem-cell research, I find the following statement: "I have decided we must proceed with great care." Can anyone explain how Bush has the constitutional right to make this decision on behalf of everybody else, including our elected representatives in Congress? Is he now the commander-in-chief of US science policy, as well as being the commander-in-chief of the armed forces? ******** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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