this one:

http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,52666,00.html

A Good Sequence, Easy to Dance To By Noah Shachtman

Scientists may soon be downloading our DNA from Kazaa and Audiogalaxy, if a California biotech firm has its way.

Companies doing genomic research, like Redwood City’s Maxygen, have a problem. To make money, the companies feel they need to control the rights to the DNA sequences they uncover. But patenting these sequences is ethically and legally tricky.

So, Maxygen’s scientists and lawyers are proposing a downright odd solution to this pickle: Encode the DNA sequences as MP3s or other music files and then copyright these genetic “tunes.” There’s been software on the market for years that can make this switch.

As the “authors” of these DNA-based songs, Maxygen could, in theory, control the rights to the compositions for 95 years or more — as opposed to the 17 years given under current patent law.

…

and this one:

From: Nicholas Bohm [mailto:nbohm@ernest.net] Sent: 23 May 2002 10:07

But they *aren’t* authors of the DNA sequences, so don’t own any copyright in them. This sort of nonsense may wash in the US, but is a no hoper anywhere else

Regards

Nicholas