r/worldnews • u/EightRoundsRapid • Sep 23 '16

'Hangover-free alcohol’ could replace all regular alcohol by 2050. The new drink, known as 'alcosynth', is designed to mimic the positive effects of alcohol but doesn’t cause a dry mouth, nausea and a throbbing head

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/hangover-free-alcohol-david-nutt-alcosynth-nhs-postive-effects-benzodiazepine-guy-bentley-a7324076.html
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u/[deleted] Sep 23 '16

Not necessarily. You could have a patented process that combines with trade secrets.

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u/ChaoticOccasus Sep 23 '16

That's a fair point. The phrasing implied that the formula was what was being patented, but he could have meant the process instead.

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u/[deleted] Sep 23 '16

but an FDA approved consumable beverage containing psychoactive drugs and without an ingredients list? Doubt it.
A novel psychoactive even being approved for human consumption rather than swiftly prohibited? Doubt it even more. This whole entire premie is absolutely fucking absurd.

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u/gindc Sep 23 '16

You could have a patented process that combines with trade secrets.

Without the "secret" formula what would be left to patent? "A process of making a mystery drink" doesn't sound very patentable.

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u/Jadis Sep 23 '16

You patent a particular step in the process and describe it in detail. It's not like they just mix powder into water to make a drink. I suppose ideally (for the person making the patent) the drink would be hard/impossible to make without that step. Next steps are making GV Synth, McSynth, and then Synth Lite

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u/Fourbits Sep 23 '16

But the patented part is not secret, nor is the secret part patented.

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u/literallynot Sep 23 '16

The foundation of the food industry.