Fun fact, apples can be patented and have trademarks! I had no idea that true until I heard the NPR on apples that Professor Blalock played for us. Apparently, the DNA of apples can be patented limiting those who can grow it, but patents expire. The trademark on an apple protects its name and it never expires. I think it is interesting that the apple growing industry is so cliquey and exclusive. It makes me feel kind of special knowing there are certain breeds of apples that only people in my area can grow. Another thing that makes me feel special is the fact that a professor from my school has developed an apple that was designed in Geneva to promote fruit consumption in children lunches. Ruby Frost might be the apple that changes the game. An apple that doesn’t brown is like ice cream that doesn’t melt!
Rose Scholars Fall 2017
Endless possibilities
Your title made me giggle! Also, the talk is super interesting. I always thought patented plants were an interesting phenomenon. I hope you enjoyed the harvest festival!
It is a rather strange concept to think that you can patent the unique genetic sequence of an organism and claim it as your intellectual property. This is extremely common however (as you have seen for certain apple varieties), and it can be rather controversial when certain corporations control genetic resources and prohibit who else can use that DNA in future breeding projects. It all comes down to a balance to encourage people to engage in novel breeding projects to develop superior varieties while still allowing some DNA to be “open access” to be used as a raw material for future projects by other groups.
Do you remember who the professor was? Sounds interesting