The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA | Jorge L. Contreras

The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA

Extended Synopsis

In The Genome Defense, legal scholar Jorge L. Contreras delivers a masterfully reported, behind-the-scenes account of one of the most significant civil rights and patent law battles in modern history: the landmark Supreme Court case AMP v. Myriad. The conflict began when attorney Chris Hansen discovered that the United States government was routinely issuing patents to private biotechnology corporations for isolated human genes. Appalled by the premise of corporate ownership over the literal building blocks of human life, Hansen and a dedicated team of ACLU lawyers initiated a high-stakes legal challenge against Myriad Genetics, a company whose patent on the famous BRCA genes allowed them to charge prohibitive fees for vital hereditary breast and ovarian cancer screening tests.

Contreras, one of the nation's preeminent authorities on human genetics law, weaves together a gripping real-life courtroom drama based on interviews with more than one hundred key participants. The narrative follows a broad coalition of activists, scientists, institutional policymakers, and cancer survivors who joined forces to take their one-in-a-million case all the way to the highest court in the land. The Genome Defense serves as an essential exploration of how modern society must carefully balance scientific discovery and corporate profits against the fundamental human rights of all people.

Reader Targeting

• Legal professionals, law students, and researchers interested in intellectual property, civil liberties, and constitutional law histories.
• Biomedical ethicists, healthcare professionals, and genetic counselors navigating the boundaries of corporate healthcare privatization.
• Readers of complex investigative non-fiction, contemporary political science, and high-stakes courtroom narratives.

Author Biography

Jorge L. Contreras is an acclaimed law professor, researcher, and author recognized internationally as an expert on intellectual property, technical standards, and human genetics law. His extensive scholarship bridges complex legislative frameworks with societal impacts, providing critical clarity on how institutional policies govern modern biotechnology and public welfare.

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