|
Bio-piracy
Bio-piracy means the unrighteous behaviour of scientists or private companies who apply for the patent of a certain gene or natural resources to make a bid to restrict other parties, including indigenous people, from utilising these natural resources. This practice aims to steal natural resources that should be owned by the general public.
Through hundreds or even thousands of years of repeated practice, indigenous people in different places have accumulated vast experience in seed improvement and crossbreeding and knowledge about the uses of diverse flora and fauna. They share the resources but have never thought about owning "intellectual property rights". Now under the intellectual property rights system, scientists and private companies can claim to "own" a particular gene and even the related natural resources. Thus many disputes over bio-piracy have arisen.
For example, a United States rice company crossed "Basmati rice" with some dwarf species of rice and succeeded in applying for a patent for this new species, which enabled the company to monopolise its sale in the United States and the Western Hemisphere and also prohibit other parties from employing similar techniques to cultivate Basmati rice. Basmati rice only grows naturally in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Indian farmers had been using and cultivating different species of Basmati rice to suit different environments and climates. Basmati rice is not only an indigenous resource, but also the result of their intellectual efforts. The US rice company, instead of recognising the farmers' efforts and achievements, acquired the name Basmati through a non-innovative breeding technique. As a result, the Indian farmers would no longer have been free to sell the rice. Indian rice exports would be threatened, with a devastating impact on the farmers' livelihoods. Challenged by the Indian government, the company abandoned the patent.
|
