Intellectual Property Rights In Animal Breeding And Genetics

Intellectual property and patents involving animals is an ever-changing field. The purpose of this book is to review the role that intellectual property plays in the development of modern animal breeding and genetics. It includes discussion of the history of animal patenting, common forms ofintellectual property, economic issues related to patent protection and the funding of research, ethical issues, and the consequences of intellectual property in the modern animal genetics market place.

Biotechnology is at the heart of heated debates about ethics, safety, economic development, and about the control over the biological materials and technologies used. The latter, grossly called biodiversity issues relating to the application of intellectual property, has been the subject of a wealth of literature. Yet, the situation of animal genetic resources specifically has only marginally been addressed so far. Many books and articles address ‘biotechnology and agriculture’, but have only plants and seeds in mind. Case-law and specific regulation is equally scarce. Exacerbated by the so-called ‘erosion of animal genetic resources’, climate change, the globalization of the market-place, and a strong concentration of markets, animal genetic resources however demand specific analysis and adjustments in intellectual property law. The decoupling of rights over animal genetic resources as an abstract concept, from those over the concrete animals is a fact today. The application of patents in this context became a full-fledged part of the management of animal genetic resources. This monograph analyzes against this background the impact of the patent system on ownership traditions in agriculture, on animal welfare, and on biodiversity. It looks at how those factors in turn are likely to affect the shape of patent law, and how they should affect it. The author hereby focuses on important specific issues arising, including the following: the underlying elements deciding on the shape of regulation – innovation, economic development, agriculture, human rights, animal welfare, the conservation of resources, and equal trading conditions; the continuing applicability of trademarks, geographical indications, copyright, and trade secrets; patentability rules and exclusions; the extension of patent rights over progeny; the meaning of ‘essentially biotechnological processes’; the legal definitions of ‘morality’ and ‘ordre public’ in the context of animal welfare; and the future of international patent law in the context of global governance theories. With detailed investigation of how three major jurisdictions – the European Union, the United States, and Canada – have regulated the matter, the book highlights unresolved issues in the laws dealing with animal genetic resources. How do the usual principles of patent law affect ownership over animals in agriculture? To what extent is patent law in accordance with neighbouring fields of regulation, with relation to animal welfare? How can intellectual property be used to alter, stimulate, or tackle developments in the realm of the conservation and promotion of biodiversity? Questions like these are asked, checked upon the more technical country studies; and then used to put to test the adequacy of international patent regulation in a final chapter. As a deeply informed overview of the arguments and discussion points, this is the only book of its kind. It links general discussions to the often technical and complicated patent regulations, in the specific context of animal genetic resources. It is sure to bring lawyers in the field closer to the policy debates; and decision makers closer to the precise idiosyncrasies of patent law.

This report represents the first large-scale quantitative analysis related to patenting activity involving livestock animals. It includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, immunology and gene therapy, stem cells and transgenic animals and as such, its main focus is on addressing the challenges involved in identifying patent activity for animal genetic resources in general and activity relating to animal genetic resources for food and agriculture in particular. Additionally, the report explores the use of traditional knowledge (TK) and the mention of the source of origin of genetic resources in patent documents.

This document discusses biotechnology as a commodity; the use of patents on living organisms and the inconsistencies resulting in using laws written before the introduction of genetic engineering; and the linking of biological research with commercial establishments, resulting in an increasing number of patents, a loss to agricultural and other biological research, and the increasing privatization of scientific information.

Few topics in the life sciences today provoke as much debate as the availability of patent protection on "genetic inventions". Some hold that protection is essential to encourage innovation and development of new products. Others argue that patents ...

Following the US Patent Office's announcement in 1987 that it considers animals "to be patentable subject matter within the scope" of patent laws, there has been worldwide debate on this subject. This work comprises the proceedings of the Animal Patents Symposium 1988 at Cornell University.

The study provides an overview of the international intellectual property system regulating plant varieties. It identifies the essential features of this system, including the policies supporting the grant of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the societal objectives in tension with IPRs, the institutions that have shaped the international intellectual property system, and the basic components contained in the relevant international treaties. The study aims to set forth regulatory options for national governments to protect plant varieties while achieving other public policy objectives relating to plant genetic resources.

Animal genetics is a foundational discipline in the fields of animal science, animal breeding, and veterinary sciences. While genetics underpins the healthy development and breeding of all living organisms, this is especially true in domestic animals, specifically with respect to breeding for key traits. Molecular and Quantitative Animal Genetics is a new textbook that takes an innovative approach, looking at both quantitative and molecular breeding approaches. The bookprovides a comprehensive introduction to genetic principles and their applications in animal breeding. This text provides a useful overview for those new to the field of animal genetics and breeding, covering a diverse array of topics ranging from population and quantitative genetics to epigenetics and biotechnology. Molecular and Quantitative Animal Genetics will be an important and invaluable educational resource for undergraduate and graduate students and animal agriculture professionals. Divided into six sections pairing fundamental principles with useful applications, the book's comprehensive coverage will make it an ideal fit for students studying animal breeding and genetics at any level.