The role of intellectual property rights in agriculture

Decisions with respect to intellectual property rights at an international level are negotiated by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), such as at this high level conference of representatives of the least developed countries (LDCs) in 2008. Photo: Mercedes Martínez/WIPO In 2002, the UK company patented a procedure through the European Patent Office for the identification of broccoli plants that have an increased glucosinolate content. That patent, however, encompassed not only the use of special marker genes to breed broccoli, but also the vegetable plants and the broccoli seed obtained by means of this process. The seed and biotech firms and have filed oppositions to the patent. In general, supports the wide-ranging patenting of breeding processes, and its purpose in bringing the case to court is presumably not to have it revoked, but in fact confirmed. Farmers’ groups and development organisations, in contrast, stand in opposition to such undermining of the patent law.