[philsnow]

If CRISPR gets/stays patented, the part of the world that respects patent law is going to get left out of whatever innovations it yields. Or maybe not completely left behind, but the groups that will be able to license it will number few.

I generally agree that discoveries like this should go in the public domain as quickly as possible.

The pissing contest about "who invented what, when" is fine and good, to a point; nobody cares if "Cancer Immunity 1.0" drug has a tagline "brought to you by Lander's Finest". To the extent that success and notoriety determine careers, and so we should "get it right" so that the "right" people get credit... I think most researchers will persevere and continue to do science (for the benefit of humanity or for personal glory, or whatever) even if they get shafted for credit.

But the technology itself.. get it into everybody's hands and let the thousand flowers bloom already.

[gohrt]

> let the thousand flowers bloom

This is a problematic phrase: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Flowers_Campaign