As the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments on whether isolated genes should be patentable, The National Law Journal asked those involved in the case–either directly or as an amicus– to provide their opinions on the matter. David S. Forman, Ph.D., senior counsel at Finnegan, examined the government’s position and how their proposed limits on gene patenting could negatively affect scientific research and progress in the biotechnology and chemical industries. “Problematically, the government argues that any molecule with a structure that can be found somewhere within a natural molecule is also unpatentable, even though it is only made by man and never occurs in nature.”