It has been ten years since the invention of CRISPR, and in that time it has already led to significant innovations in medicine, evolution, and agriculture. Ethical questions have arisen along the way, as well as a fierce patent battle. Earlier this year, the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled in favor of the Broad Institute, dealing a blow to researchers at the University of California.

Professor Jacob Sherkow, a patent law expert, predicted that companies that have licensed the CRISPR technology from the University of California will need to honor the Broad Institute patent.

“The big-ticket CRISPR companies, the ones that are farthest along in clinical trials, are almost certainly going to need to write the Broad Institute a really big check,” he said.

Read the full piece at nytimes.com.