Stop Animal Patents

Just like toasters, clocks, and other inanimate objects, animals are being patented as inventions in the United States. Private companies, universities, and individual "bioentrepreneurs" have been granted over 660 patents on animals such as chimpanzees, monkeys, mice, rabbits, dogs, cats, and pigs who have been "altered" in some way, creating an incentive to profit from hurting animals. It is our position at AAVS, however, that it is an unethical and inappropriate use of the patent system to issue patents for sentient beings.

A patent was recently granted for rabbits whose eyes are intentionally damaged to serve as a model for "dry eye" conditions in humans. AAVS has submitted a challenge to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for issuing the rabbit patent, requesting that the patent be repealed.

AAVS previously challenged a patent issued to Texas A&M University for beagles who were severely sickened and whose lungs were then purposefully infected with a mold in order to test new human drugs on them. That challenge resulted in a victory for the beagles when the patent holders dropped all claims to the patent.