Shortly thereafter, an international controversy exploded.3
The government of PapuaNew Guinea objected to the encroachment on its sovereignty.4
Human rights groups challenged
the concept of ownership of a person’s cells, particularly when that person comes from the postcolonial
developing world.5
Others argued over who should get the patent royalties.6
In the face
of this pressure, and in the absence of any commercial takers for the patent, the NIH renounced
it, formally forfeiting its rights on October 24, 1996