Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics
What's at Stake
Whether human genes can be patented.
Summary
VICTORY! On June 13, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated patents on two genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) on behalf of researchers, genetic counselors, patients, breast cancer and women's health groups, and medical professional associations representing 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals.
On May 12, 2009, the ACLU and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are unconstitutional and invalid. On November 30, 2012, the Supreme Court agreed to hear argument on the patentability of human genes. The ACLU argued the case before the U.S. Supreme Court on April 15, 2013. We expect a decision this summer.
On behalf of researchers, genetic counselors, women patients, cancer survivors, breast cancer and women's health groups, and scientific associations representing 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals, we have argued that human genes cannot be patented because they are classic products of nature. The suit charges that the gene patents violate the First Amendment and stifle diagnostic testing and research that could lead to cures and that they limit women's options regarding their medical care.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has granted thousands of patents on human genes – in fact, about 20 percent of our genes are patented. A gene patent holder has the right to prevent anyone from studying, testing or even looking at a gene. As a result, scientific research and genetic testing has been delayed, limited or even shut down due to concerns about gene patents.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of researchers, genetic counselors, women patients, cancer survivors, breast cancer and women's health groups, and scientific associations representing 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. The lawsuit charges that patents on human genes violate the First Amendment and patent law because genes are "products of nature" and therefore can't be patented.
Read the statements and check out the biographies of our plaintiffs.
The Fight to Take Back Our Genes
A special feature explaining the ACLU challenge to patenting our genes.
Learn More About BRCA »
BRCA: Frequently Asked Questions
A resource designed to help breakdown the ACLU case against gene patenting.
Read the FAQs »
Legal Documents
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06/13/2013
Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics - Decision
Date Filed: 06/13/2013
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04/05/2013
BRCA - James Watson Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 04/05/2013
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04/05/2013
BRCA - Eric S. Lander Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 04/05/2013
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02/28/2013
BRCA - Eileen M. Kane Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/28/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Invitae Corporation Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Knowledge Ecology International Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - AARP Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Canavan Foundation, et al. Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - American Medical Association, et al. Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - GeneDx and Law Professors Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - International Center for Technology Assesment, et al. - Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Fifteen Law Professors Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Ethic & Religion Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention & Prof. D. Brian Scarnecchia Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - United States Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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02/19/2013
BRCA - Genformatic Amicus Brief
Date Filed: 02/19/2013
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01/30/2013
BRCA – Academics in Law, Medicine, Health Policy, and Clinical Genetics Amicus
Date Filed: 01/30/2013
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01/24/2013
BRCA - Petitioner's Brief
Date Filed: 01/24/2013
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11/30/2012
BRCA - Canavan Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - Murray, George Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - National Women's Health Network, et al. Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - Gold, et al Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - AMA Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - Cancer Council Australia Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - AARP Amicus
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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11/30/2012
BRCA - Reply Brief for Petitioners
Date Filed: 11/30/2012
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09/25/2012
BRCA - Petition for a Writ of Certiorari
Date Filed: 09/25/2012
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08/16/2012
Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al. - Decision
Date Filed: 08/16/2012
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06/26/2012
BRCA - Professor Eileen M. Kane Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/26/2012
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06/26/2012
BRCA - Information Society Project at Yale Law School Scholars Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/26/2012
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06/26/2012
BRCA - Knowledge Ecology International et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/26/2012
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06/22/2012
BRCA - National Women's Health Network et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/22/2012
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06/22/2012
BRCA - AARP et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/22/2012
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06/22/2012
BRCA - American Medical Association et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 06/22/2012
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06/15/2012
BRCA - Brief on Remand
Date Filed: 06/15/2012
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06/15/2012
BRCA - Brief For The United States As Amicus Curiae In Support Of Neither Party
Date Filed: 06/15/2012
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06/15/2012
BRCA - Brief For Amicus Curiae James D. Watson In Support Of Neither Party
Date Filed: 06/15/2012
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06/12/2012
BRCA - Brief Of Amicus Curiae Eli Lilly And Company In Support Of Neither Party
Date Filed: 06/12/2012
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01/18/2012
BRCA - Academics Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners.pdf
Date Filed: 01/18/2012
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01/18/2012
BRCA - Erika George and Kali Murray Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/18/2012
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01/18/2012
BRCA - Cancer Council Australia et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/18/2012
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01/18/2012
BRCA - Nat'l Women's Health Network et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/18/2012
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01/13/2012
BRCA - AARP Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/13/2012
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01/13/2012
BRCA - Canavan Foundation et al Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/13/2012
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01/13/2012
BRCA - Kaiser Permanente Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/13/2012
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01/13/2012
BRCA - Knowledge Ecology Int'l Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/13/2012
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01/13/2012
BRCA - Yale Law Information Society Project Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/13/2012
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01/10/2012
BRCA - AMA et al. Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
Date Filed: 01/10/2012
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12/07/2011
BRCA - Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. - Petition for Writ of Certiorari
Date Filed: 12/07/2011
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08/30/2011
BRCA - Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. Myriad Genetics, Inc - Petition for Panel Rehearing
Date Filed: 08/30/2011
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07/29/2011
BRCA - Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. Myriad Genetics, Inc - Appeals Court Decision
Date Filed: 07/29/2011
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12/10/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: E. Richard Gold, James P. Evans, and Tania Bubela
Date Filed: 12/10/2010
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12/08/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: AARP
Date Filed: 12/08/2010
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12/08/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: International Center of Technology Assessment, the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, Greenpeace, Inc., Friends of the Earth, and the Council for Responsible Genetics
Date Filed: 12/08/2010
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12/08/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: National Women's Health Network, Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice, Center for Genetics and Society, Generations Ahead, Pro-Choice Alliance for Responsible Research, and Alliance for Humane Biotechnology
Date Filed: 12/08/2010
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12/08/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Southern Baptist Convention
Date Filed: 12/08/2010
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12/07/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Professor Eileen M. Kane
Date Filed: 12/07/2010
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12/06/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Erika George and Kali Murray
Date Filed: 12/06/2010
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12/06/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: American Medical Association and Other Medical Associations
Date Filed: 12/06/2010
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12/06/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: March of Dimes and Other Patient Groups
Date Filed: 12/06/2010
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12/06/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Scholars of Biotechnology Patent Law
Date Filed: 12/06/2010
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12/06/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Universities Allied for Essentials Medicines
Date Filed: 12/06/2010
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12/03/2010
BRCA - Amicus Brief: Cancer Council Australia and Luigi Palombi
Date Filed: 12/03/2010
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11/30/2010
BRCA - Brief for the Appellees
Date Filed: 11/30/2010
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10/29/2010
BRCA - Brief for the United States as Amicus Curiae in Support of Neither Party
Date Filed: 10/29/2010
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10/22/2010
BRCA - Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Brief for the Appellants
Date Filed: 10/22/2010
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03/29/2010
BRCA - Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. USPTO, et al. - Opinion
Date Filed: 03/29/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration of Thomas B. Kepler
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Plaintiffs Counterstatement to Myriad Rule 56.1 Statement of Material Facts
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration of Robert Cook-Deegan
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Supplemental Declaration of Ellen Matloff
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Memo of Law In Further Support of Plaintiffs MSJ and In Opposition to Myriad and USPTO
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration of Roger D. Klein
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Supplemental Declaration of Christopher Mason
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration Of Robert L. Nussbaum, M.D.
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration of Joseph E Stiglitz
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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01/20/2010
BRCA - Declaration of Fiona E Murray
Date Filed: 01/20/2010
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11/02/2009
BRCA - Opinion on Motion to Dismiss
Date Filed: 11/02/2009
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09/10/2009
BRCA - Amicus Brief of the Int'l Center for Technology Assessment, Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, Greenpeace, and Council for Responsible Genetics
Date Filed: 09/10/2009
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08/28/2009
BRCA - Amicus Brief of the National Women's Health Network and Other Organizations
Date Filed: 08/28/2009
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08/27/2009
BRCA - Amicus Brief Of The American Medical Association And Other Medical Associations
Date Filed: 08/27/2009
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08/26/2009
BRCA - Amicus Brief Of The March Of Dimes And Other Patient Groups
Date Filed: 08/26/2009
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08/26/2009
BRCA - Plaintiffs' Memo in Support of Motion for Summary Judgement
Date Filed: 08/26/2009
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08/26/2009
BRCA - Plaintiffs' Memo in Opposition to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Motion to Dismiss
Date Filed: 08/26/2009
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08/26/2009
BRCA - Plaintiffs' Memo in Opposition to Myriad and Directors of the University of Utah's Research Foundation's Motion to Dismiss
Date Filed: 08/26/2009
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08/26/2009
BRCA - Plaintiffs' Statement of Material Facts
Date Filed: 08/26/2009
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05/12/2009
BRCA - Complaint
Date Filed: 05/12/2009
Press Releases
Supreme Court Invalidates Patents on Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genes
Supreme Court Hears Arguments Challenging Patents on Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genes
Supreme Court to Hear Case Challenging Patents on Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genes
ACLU and PUBPAT Ask Supreme Court to Rule that Patents on Breast Cancer Genes Are Invalid
Divided Appeals Court Again Rules That Companies May Patent Breast Cancer Genes, but Invalidates Patents Comparing the Genes
ACLU and PUBPAT Argue Against Patents on Breast Cancer Genes in Appeals Court
