Options and implications of intellectual property rights for poultry research systems

P.V.K. Sasidhar, Sandeep Saran and Rajvir Singh
Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar - 243 122

Policy makers and research managers of Poultry Research Systems (PRS) are having a number of options to equalize opportunities between the developed and developing countries regarding poultry research innovations. Use of legislation to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) for poultry research outputs and processes is one of these options. Choosing from among these options raises a number of issues, which are currently the subject of widespread debate under international trade regime. The issues include the types of protection available and their respective exemption clauses, the appropriateness of using IPR for poultry research, the attempts to harmonize international IPR regulations, and the relation of IPR to international trade and development. This paper covers these topics in reference to this growing debate, with special attention to the possible effects of IPR on poultry research systems. The focus of this paper is on describing the nature of intellectual property mechanisms applied to poultry research, followed by an analysis of the increasing significance of IPR, and their relation to the pressing economic, trade and technology realities emerging for the poultry sector. These policies and their implications are discussed in reference to (i) acquiring and using new poultry innovations from either public or proprietary domains, (ii) developing and protecting poultry research innovations and (iii) related technology transfer mechanisms. The potential role of an office of IPR to provide PRS with guidance for making these decisions, for ensuring a consistent policy regarding the protection of innovations generated by PRS and for collaborating with public and private sectors is also discussed.

Source : IPSACON-2005

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