On June 13th, the Supreme Court decided Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., the case concerning human genes and patents. Myriad Genetics had identified two sections of the human genetic code that might indicate higher risk for certain types of cancer, and obtained patents on the "isolated" or removed versions of these two genes on the basis that Myriad invented a new chemical in the process of identifying and removing these genes from the body. The challengers claimed that Myriad Genetics had created nothing new, but rather the process is an examination of a substance found in nature whose attributes remain unchanged. Professor Gregory Dolin discusses the decision and its implications.