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Traditional Knowledge Vs. Patent System

maddy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:49:08 +0000

Traditional knowledge (TK) is in simple terms knowledge systems held by indigenous communities, often relating to their surrounding natural environment. Through globalisation and the increased availability of this knowledge as well as the implementation of intellectual property systems in the developing world TK and its relationship with the IPR-system has become a much debated and highly complicated issue. Patents have been granted with knowledge that stems from TK, some of these patents have been challenged and accused of being examples of ''biopiracy''. The task of attempting to better adjust the patent system to TK is being undertaken for the most part by working groups attached to the Convention on Biodiversity and the World Intellectual Property Organization's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. Due to amongst other things, the controversy of biopiracy much of the debate has been mired in what can be seen as post-colonial anger and guilt, it is highly politicised and often far removed from the legal issues at hand. This thesis attempts at reclaiming the issue from the political arena and approach the imperfect interaction between the two knowledge systems as a legal problem instead of a political one. Read more...

PIG on the football field

maddy — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:35:46 +0000

Craig Johnston, a Liverpool footballer from 1980 to 1988, has a reputation for being something of an ideas man. He created the TV game show "The Main Event"; he wrote The Butler software which tracks the drinks taken out of minibar fridges in hotel rooms; he invented Traxion sole, used on most football boots; he designed the Predator Adidas football boot used by David Beckham and Johnny Wilkinson. Craig hasn’t named his new design after his favourite animal: ‘Pig’ stands for Patented Interactive Grip. By choosing this name Craig has illustrated his awareness of intellectual property (IP) and the importance of protecting his innovation by getting it patented. Craig has to go about turning his idea into reality. Read more...

All about the "Basmati Patent Case"

maddy — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:37:41 +0000

In late 1997, an American company RiceTec Inc, was granted a patent by the US patent office to call the aromatic rice grown outside India 'Basmati'. RiceTec Inc, had been trying to enter the international Basmati market with brands like 'Kasmati' and 'Texmati' described as Basmati-type rice with minimal success. However, with the Basmati patent rights, RiceTec will now be able to not only call its aromatic rice Basmati within the US, but also label it Basmati for its exports. This has grave repercussions for India and Pakistan because not only will India lose out on the 45,000 tonne US import market, which forms 10 percent of the total Basmati exports, but also its position in crucial markets like the European Union, the United Kingdom, Middle East and West Asia. In the wake of the problems with patents that India has experienced in recent years, they have now realized the importance of enacting laws for conserving biodiversity and controlling piracy as well as intellectual protection legislation that conform to international laws. Read more...