Gene editing technologies offer enormous potential for scientific advancement in fields such as medicine and agriculture, but their use also raises serious ethical and public policy concerns. Although advisory groups like the World Health Organization question whether certain forms of gene editing should be permitted, the US Patent Office routinely issues patents protecting this technology. This article considers what the term patented means, provides an overview of the US patent system, and discusses the scope of patentable subject matter under US patent law and the role of ethical, safety, and legal considerations in the patent examination process.