body: Artist [Heather Dewey-Hagborg](http://deweyhagborg.com) has collected DNA samples from cigarette butts and chewing-gums found on the floor [to create realistic portraits of their former owners](http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/04/tech/innovation/dna-face-sculptures/).
  
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Eb78H.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Eb78H.png)
  
  
  I find this project fascinating, and although there are still some caveats in the likenesses and the technology behind it, it opens doors to several questions about ethics and the age-old race between technology and laws.
  
  
  Mostly, is this "discarded DNA" still "owned" by their owners after they flick it to the floor? (I am assuming that our DNA code belongs to us...)
  
  
  
title: Can someone use DNA samples that were scattered by their owners for commercial purposes?