Calif. Firm Wants to Copyright Your DNA
Aug. 23, 2001 -- Want your kids to look like Brad Pitt?
With human cloning seemingly just around the corner, what's to stop someone from plucking a hair from Brad's head, brush or bathroom and obtaining his DNA profile?
That's where the DNA Copyright Institute claims they can help.
President and founder Andre Crump says he wants to help celebrities and average citizens obtain the legal rights to their own DNA profiles. Crump says it's a scary thought, but with human cloning technology just around the corner, it makes sense.
"Just imagine Ricky Martin," he said. "Can you imagine how many people would literally want to clone Ricky Martin? Not necessarily so they can sing like Ricky Martin, but you know that the child is gong to be good looking, you know they're going to be talented in some ways and a lot of people look for that in their children."
Not to mention fans: the ultimate piece of celebrity memorabilia could be a clone of that celebrity.
"Who's the most likely people to be cloned against their will?" he asked. "It's going to be the celebrities. It's going to be the superstar athletes, the superstar models, movie stars, television stars, musicians, singers. It's those people who have the fans who are essentially excitable enough or excited enough to, to try to clone the person of their adulation, so to speak."
Protection: Not Just a Star Thing
The San Francisco company says their "copyright" process could stop DNA bandits before they unleash unauthorized likenesses of celebs. But average Joes can benefit, too, he said.
"We're not just trying to do it essentially only for the celebrities," said Crump. "We want everybody to enjoy this copyright protection and then, of course, add value added services for the celebrities."
However, no stars have jumped to copyright their DNA just yet.
"We've only been up and running for about a week," said Crump, who has an MBA, degrees in French and finance, two patents, and a pharmaceutical background. "But we hope that by the end of the year, we should have successes on all fronts. We think it will be good for society and of course it will be good for the entertainment industry."
The Price of DNA Protection
Protection comes at a price: DNA "copyrights" run $1,500 — but that fee includes "a beautiful metal wall plaque and certificate," the company's Web site promises. The certificate given to customers "can be proudly displayed as not only DNA Copyright documentation, but as the magnificent and original work of art it is: Themselves"
The fee doesn't include actual registration of DNA with the U.S. Copyright Office. That step, the site says, should be a "personal decision." However, for those who make that decision, the company will help out — for an additional $200.
"Copyrights do not require registration with the U.S. Copyright Office to be in effect, however registering does provide additional monetary rewards should an infringement occur," the online FAQ advises.
Don't Take It Out on the Clone!
Crump cautioned that copyright protection can't stop a clone once one is identified — it can only help the owner seek damages from its creator.
The clone, he said, is a person with rights.
"They didn't ask to be born the way they were born," he said. "If we're going to respect all individual's rights equally, you can't really punish them for that. But again, the person who commissioned the act, you can go after, and of course you would have lots of different tools."
Crump hopes his DNA copyright is one of them. David Blaustein is entertainment news producer for ABCNEWS Radio.