Advances in modern biotechnology have produced profound and far-reaching implications for the relationship between humans, animals and the environment. As a result, a debate has arisen surrounding the legal, moral and social problems connected with this technology, a central part of the debate focusing on the role of moral considerations in the patent system as a form of regulation. This fully revised and updated book examines this role and asks why in the context of biotechnological inventions, morality has become an important issue. It takes account of recent developments, including reference to the situation in Australia. By examining such specific recent cases, the author elucidates the moral concerns associated with modern biotechnology, thus providing an important contribution to the debate and a valuable resource for all those working in this exciting field.