Protection of genomic research data as the objects of intellectual property

Abstract

The object of this research is the determination of legal nature of genomic research data and their role among the objects of civil law. The subject of this research is the data of preclinical and clinical studies of pharmaceutical products, mostly those that contain biomaterial and biomedical cell products. The author underlines the problem of the absence of due legal regulation of genomic research data as the objects of law within Russian legislation, as well as protection of their rightsholders from anticompetitive use. The author reveals the possibility of recognizing genomic research data as the results of intellectual activity that are subject to legal protection as objects of intellectual property, as well as the need to enshrine them in the provisions of the Part 4 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The main conclusion consists in the substantiation of the need for protection of genomic research data as the objects of civil law. Arguments are adduced on the potential reference of genomic research as the results of intellectual activity to the objects of intellectual property. The list of data that may comprise trade secret is subjected to critical analysis. The author proposes the original classification of the results of intellectual activity as the objects of intellectual property from the perspective of the presence of creative beginning as directly invented by human, and indirectly reflecting the result of human activity. The conclusion is formulated on the independent nature of the results of genomic research as the objects of intellectual property in the form of the results of intellectual activity. The author underlines the need for protecting genomic research data as a variety of results of such tests as the know-how, as well as corresponding revision of legal definition of trade secret captured in civil legislation.