species names & reg. Trademark?

[Peter Schuchert]

dear collegues
This weekend I saw on a milk box an advertisement for a dairy product
containing Lactobacillus reuteri. Nothing special so far, only the species
name was followed by an ominous symbol for registered trademark! I was
horrified. Do I have to patent my newly described animals?
Can species names be protected trademarks? I thought that species names are
the property of all.

cheers,
Peter
PS: I will certainly not buy this product!


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PD Dr Peter Schuchert

University of Basel
Rheinsprung 9
CH-4051 Basel  Switzerland
fax 0041 61 267 34 57   tel 0041 61 267 34 78

http://www.unibas.ch/dib/zoologie/research/schuch.html
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