Recent developments in biotechnology have opened new avenues not only for research but also for patenting. However, recent United States Supreme Court decisions such as Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics demonstrate the interpretive difficulties these new technologies raise in patent law. Many scholars, for example, have argued that rather than using the “product of nature” doctrine and focusing on the line between human and natural constructs, the Court in Myriad should have ruled based on the doctrine’s policy goal: protecting the basic tools of scientific and technological work. Not doing so has led to doctrinal confusion, decreased patent protection, and increased uncertainty in industry.

In addition, recent biotechnological developments also raise increased ethical concerns. These concerns should lead us to reconsider the relationship between patent law and ethics. After reviewing the history of intellectual property protection for biotechnology inventions, this Note considers the policy rationale of promoting “useful” inventions and proposes implementation of a new procedure for ethical review at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.