Biogen v Medeva

The decision in Biogen v Medeva was handed down by the House of Lords more than 20 years ago. Since then, the case has acquired a landmark status in British intellectual property law, not least because it was the first time that the House of Lords considered genetic engineering in the context of patent law. Yet the specific historical contours of the case and the timing of the controversy were also significant. It was a case decided when the patenting of biotechnology had come under close political and legal scrutiny.