The federal government has preliminarily rejected three controversial stem-cell patents held by UW-Madison, saying discoveries by researcher James Thomson were “obvious to one of ordinary skill.”
The decision could greatly affect the university’s prominence in the burgeoning field and stop the millions of dollars the patents are bringing in.
Critics of the patents, who say they stifle research, said the decision will likely kill the patents. But UW-Madison officials said they will appeal, a process that could take months or years. During that time, the patents will remain active.