Chinese scientist sues Nobel Committee for defamation over awards to Yamanaka and Gurdon
A scientist named Dr. Rongxiang Xu has, according to the newspaper The Australian, sued the Nobel Prize Committee for giving the award to Yamanaka and Gurdon and not him.
Xu is quoted in the article that he “discovered ‘regenerative cells’ in 1984.
The suit filed in S. California, alleges libel and unfair competition.
The Australian goes on to say:
Xu claims the Nobel assembly’s statement “is false, as he was the scientist who made the discovery a decade earlier, therefore defaming his exemplary reputation,” said a statement announcing the lawsuit.
“My main priority for filing this suit was to clarify the Academy’s mistaken and misleading statements for the preservation of humanity and future generations,” he was cited as saying.
Dr. Xu is described here as the founder of MEBO International Group, which provides some details on his background.
Apparently Xu’s suit is the first time the Nobel committee has ever been sued so it’ll be interesting to follow the case.
