Abstract
Two decades of intensive policy controversy over the patenting of biotechnological inventions have left largely unexamined what the general public in Europe believes to be at stake. The paper presents the first European interview data with a primary focus on how members of “the silent majority” understand biotech patenting. Group discussions witness a polarization involving contrasting views of the role of patents in society; first, a libertarian view focusing on e.g. rights and merit; second, a communitarian view focusing on e.g. equality and public welfare. I suggest that these positions, which have long historical roots, are expressions of more fundamental ideas about what “Good Society” is.
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