Intellectual Property Rights Protection in the Field of Agricultural Biotechnology

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION;
1.1 Biotechnology - Society, Risks, and Ethics;
1.2 Evolution of Agricultural Biotechnology;
1.3 Research Objective;
1.4 Methodology;
1.5 Limitations of the Paper;
1.6 Hypothesis;
I .7 Research Questions;
1.8 Chapterisation;
2. SIGNIFICANCE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION IN AGRICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY;
2.1 General Introduction;
2.2 Significance of IPR Protection in Agricultural Biotechnology;
2.3 IPR Protection Available;
2.4 Issues Related to the Legal Protection of Biotechnology Products;
2.4 Other Issues Involved;
2.5 Conclusion;
3. ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS IN RECOGNIZING PLANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS;
3.1 General Introduction;
3.2 Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property;
3.3 Patent Cooperation Treaty;
3.4 International Convention (Union) For the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV);
3.4.1 UPOV and Small Farmers;
3.4.2 UPOV 1978;
Conditions Required for Protection;
Research Exemption;
Double Protection;
3.4.3 UPOV Act of 1991;
Conditions for grant of PBR;
3.4.4 UPOV and India;
3.5 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - Global System for the Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
3.6 Convention on Biodiversity (CBD);
3 .7 Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs);
3.7.1 Patentable Subject Matter;
3.7.2 The Developed Countries vs. The Developing - Issues Involved;
3.7.3 Conclusion for TRIPs;
4. CURRENT IPR REGIME IN PLANT PROTECTION;
4.1 Evolution of Plant Innovation;
4.2 The Patent Regime;
4.3 Plant Variety Rights;
4.A. PLANT .P-.R OTECTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA;
4A.l Brief History of Plant Protection in USA;
4A.2 Evolution of Agricultural Biotechnology in USA;
4A.3 Various Forms of IPR Protection for Plant Innovations;
(i) Patent Regime Issues Involved;
a. Products of nature;
b. Patentable Subject Matter;
c. Criteria of Plant Patentability;
d. Disclosure Issues as Applied to Biotechnology Inventions;
e. Development of Current US Practice;
(ii) Protection of Plant Varieties in USA;
a. Criteria;
b. Exceptions;
c. The Emergence of Sui Generis Systems for Plant Variety Protection;
d. Conclusion;
4B PLANT PROTECTION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY;
4B.l Introduction;
4B.2 Existing regimes;
4B.3 Experimental Use and the Research Exemption;
4B.4 The Scope of Plant Patents;
4B.5 Plant Variety Protection in the European Community;
4B.6 The Directive;
4B.7 Exhaustion of Rights;
4B.8 Contemporary Trend;
4B.9 Conclusion;
4C PLANT PROTECTION IN INDIA - IT'S SUI GENERIS SYSTEM ON PLANT VARIETIES;
4C.1 Introduction;
4C.2 Sui Generis System in the International Sphere;
4C.3 Emergence of the Indian Sui Generis System on Plant;
4C.4 Plant Variety Protection in India;
a. PBRs under the PPVFR Act;
b. Farmers' Rights;
c. Researcher's Rights;
d. Central Government and State Government Rights;
e. Protection of the Publics' Interest;
4C.S Conclusion;
4D. OTHER SUI GENERIS SYSTEMS;
4D.I Introduction;
4D.2 Sui Generis System Based On Trade Marks;
a.Practical Usages of Trademarks as Protection;
4D.3 Sui Generis Systems Based On Geographic Indications;
4E. ALTERNATIVE MODE OF IPR PROTECTION;
4E.l Trade Secret Protection;
a. Trade secret protection in United States;
b. b .Maintaining Trade Secrets: Reasonable Precautions;
5. PROTECTION THROUGH PARTNERING- THE NON IPR REGIME;
5.1 Hybrid Technology: Engineered Protection;
5.2 Purchase Agreements;
5.3 Label Notices;
5.4 Biopartnerships;
a. The Beneficiaries and the Benefits of Biopartnerships;
b. Melting Pot of Knowledge and Progress, or Opening of Pandora's Box?
5.5 Access Contracts;
5.6 Material Transfer Agreements Or Plant Prospecting Agreements;
6 LAW GOVERNING SEEDS IN INDIA;
6.1 Creation and the Evolution of the Seed Industry;
6.2 Intellectual Property Protection;
6.3 IPR Protection of Seeds in the United States of America;
6.4 An Overview of the Seed Industry in India
a. Farmers Rights;
b. Use of the Terminator Technology to Enforce Intellectual Property Protections For Genetically Engineered Seeds;
c. Indian Seed Industry;
6.5 Legislative Framework Governing Seeds Industry in India;
a. The Seeds Act, 1966;
b. The Seeds Rules, 1968;
c. The Seeds (Control) Order 1983;
d. The New Seed Policy;
e. New Seed Legislation, 2002;
f. The Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914 and the Plants, Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import in India) Order 1989;
6.6 Conclusion;
CONCLUSION, OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
7.1 Agricultural Biotechnology: Its Achievements, Its Promise;
7.2 Potential Risks of Agricultural Biotechnology;
7.3 Observations and Inference;
a. Venn Diagram Displaying the Power Dynamics within the Various Groups of Stakeholders;
7.4 Suggestions;
ANNEXURE I;
ANNEXURE II;
ANNEXURE III;
ANNEXURE IV;
BIBLIOGRAPHY