A new gene engineering technology has recently made it through the media, not only because of its technical advantages, but also because it is in the focus of an epic patent battle between two academic institutions. The technology bears the cryptic name "CRISPR Cas9", and allows the manipulation of genes (so called "gene editing") with so far unseen simplicity and efficacy. Dana Carroll of the University of Utah said for this reason that CRISPR Cas9 has brought about the "democratization of gene targeting". However, due to legal battles and conflicting patent estates, third parties may find it difficult to decide where to acquire licenses. This article gives an overview.