How much of the debate about XMRV is about intellectual property and not the virus?

[currer]

How much of the debate we see about XMRV is really about intellectual property (money) and not about the existence of the virus?

Is this a better way of interpreting the shennanegans we are seeing? With millions infected the money to be made is enormous. Is there a financial advantage in reinventing XMRV as something else and claiming patent rights? I have put this subject in this thread because I think money may be affecting the dabate about viral identity - sequences - could you patent a specific sequence? And would this affect your attitude to someone elses viral sequences?

So much for "science" when money is involved.

 

[omerbasket]

I don't know, but I've always said that regarding such matters there might be foreign interests involved (people might also say this about the WPI, though I don't believe it - but I would say what concerns me, and these are the intentions of the people behind the negative studies). About most of the researchers of the negative studies I'd say, translating from Hebrew: "Respect him and suspect him". And I say that it is about most of them - because a minority of them I would not respect but I would definitely suspect. But that's a minority. The majority? I don't know them, and I don't know everything that they might win or lose here.

The intellectual property subject is one of those things that can be foreign interests. Some of those who are signed on the negative XMRV-ME/CFS papers are also signed on patent applications regarding testing for XMRV, also in blood. That makes you wonder, as in their studies the conclusion is that XMRV in ME/CFS is most likely a contamination.
But I don't understand economy and I don't really know what do they have to win here and what do they have to lose here. All I know is that regarding such matters, I would try to trust someone only when I have no other choice whatsoever - but in any other case, I would have some suspicion regarding almost anyone in this business - and therefore what I am looking for is the strongest, least susceptible to human intentions, evidence possible.

I find it hard to believe that all of the negative papers contained authors that wanted not to find XMRV, or even did things in order not to find XMRV. However, it is a possibility, even if a distinct one - and therefore, I do not exclude that from the "possible reasons for the discrepancy" list.

 

[floydguy]

My take has long been that it's also about stuffing the WPI into oblivion. The "establishment" most likely doesn't like this renegade institution in rural Nevada making a large discovery. It's probably also a message to other groups outside the mainstream to play ball or you will be squashed and your careers will be ruined. One hope that we have is that real problem solvers coming out of Silicone Valley and the technology field will bypass the scientific BSers that can't seem to make any progress in anything these days. I could care less about the "science". I just want solutions. I don't care where they come from.

 

[anciendaze]

My general rule of thumb is that human conflicts and irrationality are related to amounts of money: tips in restaurants lead to minor disputes; poker pots above $100 lead to fist fights; amounts above $1,000 lead to ER visits and attorneys; amounts above $1,000,000 lead to murders. For larger amounts, I refuse to draw a line between rational behavior and manifestations of psychosis. Royalties on tests for HIV-1 run about $100,000,000 per year.

p.s. floydguy, I hope you mean Silicon Valley above. Silicone Valley is associated with Tinseltown, which does much better at creating and portraying dramatic problems than solving them.

 

[Jemal]

Offtopic, but that's one cool avatar you got there anciendaze

 

[floydguy]

p.s. floydguy, I hope you mean Silicon Valley above. Silicone Valley is associated with Tinseltown, which does much better at creating and portraying dramatic problems than solving them.

Yeah, I saw that but didn't bother correcting. I am much more accustomed to typing silicone (as in silicone rubber; not the more interesting silicone than silicon as the material in semi-conductors.

After thinking about it if Tinseltown can come up with a solution I am okay with that. Pam Anderson might have more insight than the current cast of characters!