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The authors argue that far from driving innovation, patent claims on human genes and genetic diagnostic methods are largely counterproductive. Although possible solutions to the inconsistencies in the current system are proposed, the authors expect patents to die out naturally.
Participant-centred initiatives use social media technologies to allow long-term interactive partnerships to be established between study participants and researchers. These varied initiatives improve research governance and quality and give participants greater knowledge of and control over how their data are used.
