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Casebook Read Credits
Open Source Property
Section 22 . 3
2.5 hours

C. Body Parts

Harvard Law School Library

In the following case, the classification “property” was vital to the nature of the harm recognized and the scope of the available damages. As you read, consider why the label “property” matters so much. Also, pay attention to the three separate things that might be called property at issue here: the cells extracted from the plaintiff’s body; the “cell line” grown from those cells; and the University’s patent. 

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