Dear Gonneke,  The USA has been patenting life forms since 1980 due to a
Supreme Court Decision called Diamond v. Chakrabarty.  It ruled that
genetically altered microorganisms could be patented.  In 1988, the first
genetically altered animal, a mouse, was patented.  In 1997 the European
Union began to accept the patenting of life forms.  Of course, there is
certain criteria that people must follow to have such patents accepted.  We
do have the patenting of all sorts of life forms including body parts.  It
certainly reads like science fiction and I has been done without public
debate and input.  You might want to go to the following web site to read,
"Are Patents Out of Control?" from RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation
International-an NGO dedicated to conservation and sustainable improvement of
agricultural biodiversity, and to the socially responsible development of
technologies useful to rural societies).

There are over 600 patents in the US Patent Office in regard to human milk
components.  I think we have to recognize the importance of this statement.
While many see nothing wrong in the commercilization of breastmilk, please go
back to that web site and reread the company's statement.  This is not about
human milk banking.  It is about taking human milk and fortifying it.  I
believe this can only be done in collaboration with one or more of the infant
formula companies.  Please really think about this.  Many of the patents on
human milk components (mostly genetically engineered) are owned by the infant
formula and drug industries.  Snow Brand Milk Products of Japan owns one of
the few patents on human milk that does not state genetic engineering.  Snow
Brand and Nestle of Japan have merged.  Who will own human milk?  Not the
mothers.  Good old Nestle.  Talk about brave new world!  Stop the world, I
want off....  Valerie

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