Replies to post #10032 on Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MNTA)

[oldberkeley]

FWIW I would suggest that what you are missing is that it is human nature to look at inventions made by others and say 'that's obvious' (and therefore clearly not worthy of protection) - a classic example is the concept of zero. And another is the concept of sound=vibration. And yet they are both reasonably recent discoveries.

I apologize, perhaps I was unclear. Not missing that at all, I entirely agree, that is human nature.

But your examples of zero and sound vibrations are natural processes that the court has ruled—as recently as this past March in the Prometheus Laboratories case—cannot be patented.

I'd submit that MNTA's patents are quite far from just natural laws or phenomena, and therefore are patentable.