| Matthew Frank | |
|---|---|
|
| |
Status |
Unknown |
Nationality |
 American (presumed)
|
Occupation |
Lawyer |
Base |
New York, United States |
Matthew Frank, Esq. was an intellectual property lawyer based in Manhattan, New York.
Story[ | ]
Matthew Frank lived in the time period before the Omnic Crisis. In a historic legal case, he convinced the Supreme Court of the United States that engineered seeds could not be held under any kind of copyright or patent, as they were transformative works derived from crops first tended by the world's indigenous peoples, none of whom had surrendered their rights to the original stock. He cited the dismissal of patents of lifesaving vaccines during the pandemic waves of the early 21st century as precedent, he claimed that biotech companies patenting seeds, the unauthorized use of which could result in hefty fines, was counter to both human interest and international law.
The Supreme Court accepted Frank's argument, and made GMOs open source. The decision was incredibly popular, though opponents of the decision claimed it would hinder agricultural research, making the field "charity work." However, these fears did not come to pass; global adoption of hardier, more efficient crops boomed, and hunger became less of a burden for individuals and governments alike. However, many smaller farms still folded under the onslaught of climate change, which led to the creation of megafarms.[1]