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Sung and Koepsell believe in different views about patenting genetic intellectual property, they disagree with each other. Sung believes that patenting genetic intellectual property is ethical, while Koepsell believes it is not. Sung uses an utilitarian view to justify his argument, while Koepsell more of a Kantian deontology to support his argument.
Sung believes that patenting genetic intellectual property is best for the community. He believes that it benefits the society not only in a legal way but also socially (Caplan and Robert 2014, 150) Sung says, “Rarely have there been bona fide challenges to copyrightable and patentable subject matter discretely as unethical or immoral” (Caplan & Robert, 2014,145). In Sung’s argument I believe that his biggest fear in not being able to copy genes, embryos and their parts is that the science world will be limited. They will no have the right to experiment and discover new ting in this field. He believes that this research is beneficial not only the science world, but is also beneficial to society as a whole.
Koepsell believes in the opposite of Sung, he believes that it is not ethical to copyright genes, embryos and their parts. Koepsell uses the argument of Kantian deontology to support his argument. According to the Kant a person have the right over their own body and they also have the duty to treat other with respect. (Caplan and Robert 2014, 158) According to Koepsell companies primary use of a patent is to make money not to further research in science. He states that laws about patent make it illegal for us to look at a part of out own DNA, but grants Myriad, a DNA company, the right to look at it. (Caplan and Robert2014, 158) This violates the right to a person having control over their own body. According to Koepsell research getting a test from Myriad for breast cancer or ovarian cancer cost approximately $3,000 while making the test only cost $300. (Caplan and Robert 2014, 157) Koepsell states that copyright of IP violates our dignity and only makes 7us money hungry.
In conclusion, I think Sung relies on a more utilitarian support of this theory because it helps him prove that it is trying to help the majority in the long run. Sung is trying to have us think about how much lives we while save in the long run. While in the other hand, Koepsell uses the principle of Kantian deontology to state the fact that we full control over our DNA and anything from our body. Koepsell is trying to prove how patenting our IP is exploiting us and denying us the right to our body.
Reference:
Caplan, A & Arp, R. eds. (2014). Contemporary debates in bioethics. Wiley-Blackwell
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