人類胚胎干細胞技術的可專利性－－歐洲法院Brustle v. Greenpeace e.V.專利案述評

Patentability of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Techniques: Review of CJEU’s Decision in the Brüstle v. Greenpeace e.V. Case

對人類胚胎的保護，其本身就關乎人類的可持續發展。根據德國《專利法》與《歐盟生物技術發明法律保護指令》的規定，基於工商業目的的對人類胚胎的利用，不能授予專利。但對於什麼是人類胚胎未作解釋。而德國《刑法典》只保護“著床”（受精卵附著在子宮壁上）之後的人類胚胎。隨著生物醫學的現代發展，越來越多的人類胚胎在胚胎移植中被丟棄與毀壞，引發了體外胚胎的保護問題。歐洲法院就德國聯邦最高法院提交的Brustle v.Greenpeace e.V.案所作出裁決，從憲法角度闡明了人類胚胎的概念，將人類胚胎的保護延展至體外胚胎，使得相關的發明不能獲得專利保護。

The protection of the human embryo relates to the sustainability of human development. According to German Patent Law and EU Directive on Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions, the use of human embryos for commercial purposes cannot be patented. However, German Patent Law does not define the term “human embryo” in the legislation. The human embryo will be protected under German Criminal Code only after the “implantation” (the fertilized egg attached to the uterine wall) occurs. The development of biomedical science leads to a growing number of human embryos were discarded and destroyed by in vitro fertilization. German Federal Supreme Court referred the Brüstle v. Greenpeace e.V. patent dispute regarding human embryonic to the Court of Justice of European Union(CJEU). In 2011, the CJEU ruled that the term “human embryos” must be interpreted broadly to include any organism from the perspective of constitutional rights, and the inventions relating to human embryos are not patentable.