The Genome Defense

Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA

By: Jorge L. Contreras

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

In this riveting, behind-the-scenes courtroom drama, a brilliant legal team battles corporate greed and government overreach for our fundamental right to control our genes.

When attorney Chris Hansen learned that the U.S. government was issuing patents for human genes to biotech companies, his first thought was, How can a corporation own what makes us who we are? Then he discovered that women were being charged exorbitant fees to test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, tests they desperately needed—all because Myriad Genetics had patented the famous BRCA genes. So he sued them.

Jorge L. Contreras, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on human genetics law, has devoted years to investigating the groundbreaking civil rights case known as AMP v. Myriad. In The Genome Defense Contreras gives us the view from inside as Hansen and his team of ACLU lawyers, along with a committed group of activists, scientists, and physicians, take their one-in-a-million case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Contreras interviewed more than a hundred key players involved in all aspects of the case—from judges and policy makers to ethicists and genetic counselors, as well as cancer survivors and those whose lives would be impacted by the decision—expertly weaving together their stories into a fascinating narrative of this pivotal moment in history.

The Genome Defense is a powerful and compelling story about how society must balance scientific discovery with corporate profits and the rights of all people.

©2021 Jorge L. Contreras (P)2022 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

“A compelling and thoroughly researched narrative history of a seminal lawsuit.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Ably and affectingly detailed . . . This story stands as a guide to the forces that shape an increasingly important industry—and to the vexed influence of patents.”—Nature

“The Genome Defense provides an incomparable perspective on a landmark Supreme Court case, and it is a testament to the importance of intellectual property law to humanity’s prosperity.”—Jessica Silbey, author of The Eureka Myth: Creators, Innovators, and Everyday Intellectual Property

Terriffic book

This book was well researched to give you the inside story of a landmark legal case. It should be a must read for lawyers that aspire to change the world.

Engaging narrative of important decision

Although my current job involves forensic DNA analysis, I was mostly ignorant of the events described in this book while they were happening several years ago. This is really important subject matter, and it’s written in a gripping and easy to understand manner.

Great story, well told.

Well written and well narrated recapitulation of the legal, biological, medical, and social machinations of one of the most important SCOTUS decisions ever.

Great read.

As a retired patent attorney I found this to be an excellent description of an often arcane field.