ipr_in_agriculture.docVIP

Intellectual property rights in Agriculture (An Issues Dialog note) John Dodds Dodds Associates 1707 N St. NW Washington DC 20036 Table of Contents Summary Foreword Biotechnology and its Special Impact Existing IPR regimes: What Issues do they Raise in a Global Agricultural Context Agriculture, Biotechnology, Poverty Alleviation and International Public Goods Intellectual Property Rights in Research and Agriculture Intellectual Property Rights and Trade The Public Sector and International Public Goods Public Sector - Private Sector Interactions Conclusions and Potential Mechanisms to Address Identified Constraints Selected Bibliography  SUMMARY There has been a revolution in science in agriculture over the last ten years, primarily in the area of biotechnology. At the same time there have been substantial changes in the application of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to scientific discovery in the life sciences. In addition to the technical and legal shifts, there has also been a move towards greater globalization of trade. This issues and dialog note is structured in a way as to point to the key issues that are arising because of the use of IP on agricultural inventions. There are concerns in regards to access to technology by developing countries, there are concerns regarding the rights to use of germplasm, the basic building blocks for genetic improvement, and there are concerns that technology is perceived to be controlled by a limited number of large corporate entities. The issues and dialog note describes some of the key technology tools that are used in animal or plant improvement; it also describes the basic IPR tools that are used to protect ownership rights. It is noted that the IPR tools vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but there are common platforms such as the Paris Convention that govern the international implementation of these rules. There are many fundamental beliefs that underpin this dialog.