Diamond v. Chakrabarty Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

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Diamond v. Chakrabarty | 447 U.S. 303 (1980)
Bacteria are amazing creatures. One of their most important roles is to promote decay and recycling. Bacteria can break down an incredible range of materials, from plant and animal waste to steel and even uranium. But no bacterium on Earth could digest crude oil. None, that is, until Ananda Chakrabarty invented one. His attempt to patent his creation led to the landmark case of Diamond versus Chakrabarty, which addressed the role of patents in biotechnology.
Chakrabarty was a microbiologist who invented his oil-eating bacterium while working for General Electric. Some naturally occurring bacteria could digest individual components of crude oil, but Chakrabarty’s was the first that could digest multiple components at once. The bacterium promised to be useful for cleaning up oil spills. In 1972 Chakrabarty applied for a patent on the organism.
The issuance of the patent was governed by Section 101 of the United States Patent Act. The statute defines so-called patentable subject matter, which simply means things that can be patented. Under the statute, patentable subject matter includes any new manufacture or composition of matter. Patents can be issued only for things created by human beings. Things that occur in nature, without human intervention, can’t be patented.
The patent office rejected Chakrabarty’s application because, in its view, living things couldn’t be patented.
The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals reversed, and Sidney Diamond, the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari.
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