Biotechnology companies have requested and received patents for different plant and tree species, and human genetic material has already been patented. The behavior of such biotech companies has led me to wise up to my own inalienable rights. Can I be described as the owner, the sole proprietor, of MYSELF, my being, both physically and metaphysically? Is it possible that a corporation might legally claim ownership of MYSELF, in whole or in part? Do my inalienable rights as an individual have any real meaning unless I can translate them into monetary terms, or determine and protect them in a hard-headed, businesslike manner? Very briefly, I came to the conclusion that no, they do not. I am therefore applying to patent MYSELF, Donna Rawlinson Mac Lean, in my entirety; that is, my physical reality including my genes, which are me, and all the other less tangible elements which constitute the wonder that is me. ...

With reference to the guidelines, I can state: ...

I am not obvious. ...

I am not merely a discovery or an aesthetic creation. I am more than the sum of my abstract aspects. And quite clearly I have physical features.

I do not find MYSELF in your definitions of "excluded inventions." ....

The accompanying illustrations show MYSELF to be an excellent example of a human being. The bones of MYSELF are all present and connected in the correct sequence. The limbs are supple and obedient to the will of MYSELF. The physical features on the face are my own. I am alive and my genes are MYSELF. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further diagrams or any additional proofs that I am that I am. ....

Back to Lillian Lee's home page.