@article{41922,
      author = {Roig, Jorge R.},
      url = {http://tind.wipo.int/record/41922},
      title = {Can DNA Be Speech?},
      abstract = {DNA is generally regarded as the basic building block of  life itself. In  the  most  fundamental  sense,  DNA  is   nothing  more  than  a  chemical compound,   albeit   a    very   complex   and   peculiar   one.   DNA   is   an  information-carrying  molecule.  The specific  sequence  of   base  pairs contained  in  a  DNA  molecule  carries  with   it  genetic  information  and encodes for the creation of  particular proteins. When taken as a whole, the  DNA   contained  in  a  single  human  cell  is  a  complete   blueprint  and instruction manual for the creation of that  human being.This Article discusses a myriad of current and  developing ways in which  people  are  utilizing  DNA  to   store  or  convey  information  of  all kinds. For   example,  researchers  have  encoded  the  contents  of  a   whole book in DNA, demonstrating the potential of DNA as a  way of storing and transmitting information. In a different  vein, some artists have begun to create living organisms  with altered DNA as works of art. Hence, DNA is amedium for  the communication of ideas. Because of the ability of DNA  to store and convey information, its regulation must  necessarily raise concerns associated with the First  Amendment’s prohibition against the abridgment of freedom  of speech. New and developing technologies, and the  contemporary and future social practices they will  engender, necessitate the renewal of an approach towards  First Amendment coverage that takes into account the  purposes and values incarnated in the Free Speech Clause of  the Constitution. This Article proposes and applies a  framework for analysis in the context of contemporary  social practices that involve the manipulation of DNA as a  case study from which we can hope to gain valuable insights  regarding First Amendment doctrine in general.},
      recid = {41922},
      pages = {51 pages},
}