The subset of Genetic Resources covers two broad areas of concern about intellectual property: aspects which impact on knowledge about the medical uses of genetic resources and those that impact on knowledge about their use for food and agriculture.
Briefly, the debate on IPRs on genetic resources started in earnest when the first patents were granted in the USA in the mid 1980s. This has become a global issue with the coming into force of the World Trade Organisation and its Agreement on the Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property rights (TRIPs) and especially its controversial Article 27.3(b) on patenting of genetic resources. Prior to the 1980s the only IP issues concerned process patents for manipulating genetic resources and Plant Variety Protection agreements and Seed laws that governed acces and use of seeds.
Wider than that, there is a concern to recognise that the knowledge component of genetic resources whose provenance is usually from 'wild' living organisms that have been nurtured by people or from local varieties and breeds that have been developed by farmers and pastoralists cannot be patented, because identification of genetic resources and their knowledge component can only be classed as a 'discovery'.
"Beyond intellectual property" is now a common debate as genetic use restriction technologies and other control mechanisms are being researched and developed by corporations and their research institutes.
UK Government IPR Commission's website containing background, papers, and conference reports. Commission's Report: "Integrating IPRs and Development Policy" now available. http://www.iprcommission.org/
UKabc portal on the IT PGRFA (International Seed Treaty) that governs the access, use, conservation and development of the genetic resources of food security crop and forage species. Treaty outlaws IPRs on selected PGRFA. Links to all official FAO, media http://www.ukabc.org/iu2.htm
Website of the institution that governs this 50 nation Convention on Plant Variety Protection (PVP) of crops and flowers. Details of the Convention, membership, conduct, implementation and so on. http://www.upov.int/eng/index.htm
Third World Network's pages on IP issues. Extensive and historical coverage of the issues from an authoritative developing country perspective. http://www.twnside.org.sg/access_5.htm
Introduction to the issues in a Kenyan context, with an emphasis on farmers, pastoralists and fisherfolk, and the need for protocols on intellectual property. Includes Via Campesina's statement on Farmers' Rights. http://www.ukabc.org/ipr2.htm
Authoritative introduction to these issues by Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN) with links to key documents on patents, PVP, WTO/TRIPs and corporate control of agricultural biodiversity. http://www.grain.org/themes/dsp_theme.cfm?theme_id=101
Discussion paper prepared for the Commonwealth Secretariat on capacity building priorities for the Review of TRIPs Article 27.3(b). Extensive links to related papers and sites. http://www.ukabc.org/TRIPs/cs_exsum.htm
WTO's pages on the Agreement on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property rights (TRIPs), highlighting the patents clauses which include genetic resources patents. Links to all other aspects of trade and intellectual property. http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/intel2_e.htm#patents
ETC Group Communiqué on the uncertainties surrounding intellectual property rights, which, being increasingly unacceptable to industry, is why new tools for monopoly control of biological and other resources are being developed. http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=271
Theme issue of Biotechnology and Development Monitor journal on Plant Variety Rights and sui generis systems. Journal covers all aspects of IPRs, seed systems and biotechnology. Links through home page of journal. http://www.biotech-monitor.nl/index36.htm
Full text and publication details of Volume 1 (ownership, conservation and exchange of genetic resources) and Volume 2 (legal mechanisms) which update People, Plants and Patents. Published by The Crucible Group/IDRC in 2000. http://www.idrc.ca/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=548&CATID=15
Full text and background of proposed treaty designed to ensure that governments and Indigenous Peoples, who are the caretakers of their part of the genetic commons, establish the appropriate statutory mechanisms needed to ensure both sovereignty and open http://www.ukabc.org/genetic_commons_treaty.htm
An online, searchable archive of public domain documented traditional ecological knowledge concerning indigenous knowledge and plant species uses necessary to establish prior art. http://ip.aaas.org/tekpad
Site contains Trade and Development pages which include all QUNO publications on Trade and Intellectual Property, including aspects related to: Food, Sui Generis systems, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Traditional Knowledge http://www.geneva.quno.info/
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) pages on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources with links to Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore. Includes coverage of the intergovernmental committee covering all three issues. http://www.wipo.int/globalissues/genetic/index.html
Provides information which challenges the privatisation, monopoly control and patenting of living organisms and which promotes alternatives. Discussion forums, resources, links. http://www.fpl-fbv.ca
