THE patent system is meant to help inventors protect their ideas, but it can also be exploited for political ends. Take the decision by Greg Aharonian, an outspoken patent analyst based in San Francisco, to apply for “. His aim is to promote “same-sex reproduction”, something he claims biologists have long failed to address (see “Sperm from women and eggs from men”).
Aharonian seems to be spoiling for a fight with conservatives. He may also be accused of recklessly raising the hopes of gay and lesbian couples that they…
