Sowing Seeds of Influence: Advancing Geopolitical Interests through the Supreme Court.

The "life sciences" industry has come to define the possibilities and perils of the early 21st century. As such, this paper examines the watershed 1980 Supreme Court decision, Diamond vs. Chakrabarty, as the pivotal moment ushering in the legal basis for commodifying living organisms. Through historical analysis and empirical research, I argue that this decision pioneered a market for the agricultural biotechnology industry through the widespread expansion of intellectual property rights. Significantly, this development exists amidst a historical backdrop shaped by U.S. geopolitical interests. Hence, this case study challenges the prevalent assumptions within political science that technological innovation drives history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]