[KarlInOhio]

Hey look, a rock! I patent rocks so no one else can use them.

I can think of few things more "prior art" than natural DNA. If you have a special process which you can do with that DNA then patent it, but you can't patent the DNA itself.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Hey look, a rock! I patent rocks so no one else can use them.

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Arrange the rocks into an particular shape (or carve on into a shape), and you can possibly copyright the design, trademark it (if the design is used to identify the source of commercial goods or services), or patent it if it provides some new, useful, and non-obvious function.

DNA is data. When the data has certain characteristics, it can be protected as intellectual property. Same for the data stream that makes a music recording or photograph, or a computer program.