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The potential of human embryonic stem cell (ESC) research could prove to provide immense therapeutic value for illnesses not curable under currently existing therapies. However, human ESC research is controversial as it touches the fundamental value of human life. Taiwan has been aiming to become the biotech hub of Asia-Pacific and is becoming a major player in human ESC research. Whether or not the research results from human ESC are patentable could have a profound impact on the progress in this field. In this article, the science of human ESC research is clarified and tested against the existing murky Taiwan patent standards. In particular, this article distinguishes between therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning techniques, asks questions about the patentability of totipotent human ESCs and explores the meaning of the word embryo. This article draws comparison with the European practice on ethical standards and concludes that patenting human ESC research might not be so controversial, but Taiwan has to make its patent law clearer in this field to fulfill the country's intended goal.
