r/technology • u/lurker_bee • 23h ago

Biotechnology Burkina Faso says no to Bill Gates’ plan of creating modified species of mosquitoes

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/burkina-faso-says-no-to-bill-gates-plan-of-creating-modified-species-of-mosquitoes/xyk7xm8
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u/Rion23 19h ago

The problem with GMOs is that someone owns the patent. You have to continuously pay for the product, like crops. And with crops, of they happen to blow into your field and start growing, they can come after you and Sue you for using their product without paying for them.

Basically, they are selling subscriptions.

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u/Moifaso 16h ago

The problem with GMOs is that someone owns the patent. You have to continuously pay for the product, like crops.

1- This is also true for regular, "naturally" selected strains or hybrids. IP law doesn't just apply to GMOs

2 - If GMOs weren't "one and done" and could be sold once and then naturally replicate, they could spread on their own and outcompete natural vegetation. We really don't want that.

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u/Techygal9 18h ago

For gmo crops yes, this is a huge problem. For these mosquitos no they are not being patented in the same way. The techniques to create them are patented. So the method of making the male mosquitoes sterile or unable to reproduce female mosquitoes, the specific genes they use will be patented. But in this case the gates foundation is giving this away for free, like they do anti malarial medicine, mosquito nets, etc. If the leaders are worried about the patent and having access to the science they can make that a requirement for things to take place in Burkina Faso.

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u/Tylendal 16h ago

of they happen to blow into your field and start growing, they can come after you and Sue you for using their product without paying for them.

No they can't. Hilariously, a group actually tried to sue to stop Monsanto from doing that, and got thrown out of court when they couldn't actually provide any examples of them ever doing so. Schmeiser and Bowman weren't examples of that, they were both very deliberately trying to obtain a product outside of contract.