Intellectual Property Rights, Trade and Biodiversity

The intellectual property rights (IPRs) associated with plant genetic resources are often critical to trade, yet no unified international framework for a fair IPR regime exists. This book examines various agreements, setting out to establish an equitable IPR regime for biodiversity.

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The intellectual property rights (IPRs) associated with plant genetic resources are often critical to trade, yet no unified international framework for a fair IPR regime exists. This book examines the international agreements relevant to IPRs: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement; and the Convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). It sets out to establish an equitable IPR regime for biodiversity, taking into account ethical concerns over patenting life forms, environmental and social impacts, technology transfer and the relation between traditional knowledge and IPRs.