• qyron@sopuli.xyz
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    1 year ago

    Nestlé has been patenting human milk proteins for decades. To my understanding, this prevents other companies to add such molecules to baby formula, even if somehow methods to synthesize said molecules were developed.

    That is a scary notion, a malevolous intent and a gross outcome.

    • ForgotAboutDre@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      These shouldn’t hold up. Wouldn’t the prior work of thousands of generations of mothers invalidate such a patent.

      • Darkard@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        “Excuse me madam but do you have a license to use those tits? No? Didn’t think so. The content of those bazongas is Nestle property. I’m afraid I’m going to have to clamp those nipples until such time as the proper Bandonkadonk subscriptions are paid”

        • shinratdr
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          1 year ago

          i got this new legal drama plot. basically there’s this patent infringer except she’s got huge boobs. i mean some serious honkers. a real set of badonkers. packin some dobonhonkeros. massive dohoonkabhankoloos. big ol’ tonhongerekoogers.

          what happens next?!

          lawyer shows up with even bigger bonkhonagahoogs. humongous hungolomghononoloughongous

        • zaphod@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          As long as the tits aren’t used for commercial purposes you don’t need a license. Anyway, I doubt that in Europe you could patent any naturally occuring molecules in any kind of milk.

          • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You can patent pretty much anything in Europe.

            However, enforcing those patents is a completely different affair.

            • zaphod@feddit.de
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              1 year ago

              Maybe some countries’ patent offices don’t take their job serious, but in general there are loads of things you can patent. For example basically anything naturally occuring is not generally patentable, but you can patent methods for synthesising or extracting naturally occuring things.

    • GenEcon@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Something doesn’t add up here since you can’t patent anything for decades.

      • jadero@mander.xyz
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        1 year ago

        I read that as:

        For decades, Nestle has been patenting milk proteins.

        They’ve been doing it for a long time, not somehow getting extra-long patents.

      • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        Seems like I messed up carrying over thoughts over language barrier.

        Where was I unclear?

        • bort@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          patents expire. so nestle shoudln’t be able to “patenting human milk proteins for decades”

          • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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            1 year ago

            Patents can be renewed, to my knowledge, and “for decades” as in “since the 90s”.

            • Quereller@lemmy.one
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              1 year ago

              Usually, patents have a lifetime for 20 years. Maybe you get an extension for 5 years. From were do you have the info that patents can be renewed?

          • lad@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            For decades may as well be anything from 20 years up, afaik patents may live for 50 years so this seems to work fine

      • Capricorn_Geriatric@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Imagine Nestle executives finding a time machine and going to all of history’s most famous persons’ mothers and telling them how they can’t breastfeed their kids.

        Someone should definitely write a book about that