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PVP in the South: caving in to UPOV GRAIN • September 2004 • estimates only
* Not all countries listed are members of WTO. ** According to UPOV, the
government has "been in contact with the Office of the *** Through a bilateral treaty, usually a trade agreement with US or EU, WTO accession negotiations or other
PVP in the South: the statistics
The WTO TRIPS Agreement obliges all members to provide intellectual property protection for plant varieties at the national level, either through patents or "an effective sui generis system" or both (Art. 27.3b). Few countries have laws that explicitly provide for patents on plant varieties, while others permit it in practice. As patents block anyone but the patent-holder from not only making and selling but using an invention, the patenting of plant varieties would severely affect plant breeding and agriculture at large. TRIPS does not define "effective sui generis system" – the other option – for protection of plant varieties. Industrialised countries had the UPOV system in mind when TRIPS was drafted, but UPOV is not mentioned in the Agreement. This means that the jury is out on what is to be considered an "effective" system under TRIPS. The UPOV Convention is an international agreement which sets rules for patent-like monopoly rights over crop varieties. It is highly biased toward industrial farming conditions and two-thirds of UPOV’s members are countries of the North. Developing country members of WTO – there are 70 – were supposed to have implemented Art. 27.3(b) of TRIPS by January 2000. Least-developed country members – there are 31 – have until January 2006. And while a mandated review of the provisions of TRIPS Art. 27.3(b) is under way since 1999, it has not yet resulted in any concrete actions to change the Agreement, despite numerous proposals from the South on how to 'improve' it. These have ranged from prohibiting all patents on life, to incorporating recognition of traditional knowledge, to obliging patent applicants to disclose the origin of biological materials used in their inventions.
• Despite the
threat of trade sanctions from unmet deadlines, less than half (47%) of the
developing country members of WTO have implemented TRIPS Art. 27.3(b) at face
value by enacting some form of plant
variety protection law. This excludes the least-developed countries, none of
which have enacted such laws. Considered together, less than a third of the WTO
members from the South (32%) have PVP legislation in place. Half of the developing countries which have adopted PVP laws – and the vast majority only did so in the last few years, because of TRIPS – have also joined UPOV. An additional 26 are currently in the process of joining. And yet another 30 are allegedly seeking UPOV’s advice on the conformity of their draft PVP bills with the UPOV provisions. What does all this this mean? Country after country, the sui generis option in TRIPS is being reduced to UPOV-type legislation. The main reason for this is direct pressure from industrialised countries to harmonise intellectual property laws worldwide – not only through global treaties, but also through regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements. This carries serious implications for sustainable agriculture and farmers’ rights. Because accepting UPOV is the first step toward accepting full-fledged patents on life. GRAIN • updated September 2004 |
WTO disclosure talks try to clarify CBD-TRIPS relationship (ICTSD, Mar-2006) WTO discussions on biodiversity intensify as differences remain (IP Watch, Mar-2006) New submissions feed CBD debate at TRIPS Council meeting (IP Watch, Mar-2006) Campaign for review of TRIPS to be launched (The Hindu (New Delhi), Aug-2005) India calls for biodiversity protection under WTO (IANS, Aug-2005) Disclosure continues to divide TRIPS Council (ICTSD, Jun-2005) TRIPS Council focuses on benefit-sharing for genetic resources (ICTSD, Mar-2005) TRIPS Council: developing countries seek to move debate forward on disclosure issues (ICTSD, Sep-2004) Países en desarrollo proponen en la OMC prevenir 'biopiratería' (EFE, Sep-2004) Biodiversity discussions stagnate in TRIPS Council (ICTSD, Jun-2004) US, Japan put spanner on bid for bio-piracy check (KG Narendranath, Apr-2004) TRIPS Council discusses biodiversity (ICTSD, Mar-2004) Cancun Update: IPRs (ICTSD, Aug-2003) US Congress resolution on African farmers' rights (Rep. Maxine Waters, Jul-2003) The power of peoples' traditional knowledge: How TRIPS threatens biodiversity & food sovereignty (EED partners, Jun-2003) Campaign to demand adoption of African Group's proposal on traditional knowledge at the WTO Cancun Ministerial (Diverse Women for Diversity, Jun-2003) CBD-TRIPS discussion picking up speed at the WTO (ICTSD, Jun-2003)
Africa reiterates proposal to ban life patents
(TWN, Jun-2003)
Draft modalities for TRIPS-related issues (17 July 2008) Jul-2008
Response to questions raised on the draft amendment to TRIPS — Article 29bis
(Brazil, Jul-2006)
Amending the TRIPS Agreement to introduce an obligation to disclose the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in
patent applications
(Norway, Jun-2006)
Doha work programme: the outstanding implementation issue on the relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD (developing countries proposed Article 29bis)
(Brazil, India, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Tanzania and others, May-2006)
Article 27.3(b), relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD, and the protection of traditional knowledge
and folklore
(USA, Mar-2006)
The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity - Summary of issues raised and points made
(WTO TRIPS Council Secretariat, Mar-2006)
Review of the provisions of Article 27.3(b) - summary of issues raised and points made
(WTO TRIPS Council Secretariat, Mar-2006)
The protection of traditional knowledge and folklore - summary of issues raised and points made
(WTO TRIPS Council Secretariat, Mar-2006)
BIO letter opposing amendments to the TRIPS Agreement
(Biotechnology Industry Organization, Dec-2005)
The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional Knowledge: technical observations on the United States submission IP/C/W449
(Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, India and Pakistan, Nov-2005)
Analysis of potential cases of biopiracy
(Peru, Nov-2005)
Report of the TRIPS Council Meeting, 14-15 June 2005
(WTO Secretariat, Sep-2005)
Article 27.3(b), relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD, and the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore
(USA, Jun-2005)
Article 27.3(b), relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD and protection of traditional knowledge and folklore
(Peru, Jun-2005)
The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore and the review of implementation of the TRIPS Agreement under Article 71.1
(Switzerland, May-2005)
Article 27.3(b), relationship between the TRIPS agreement and the CBD and protection of traditional knowledge and folklore
(Peru, May-2005)
The relationship between the TRIPS agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional knowledge — elements of the obligation to disclose evidence of benefit-sharing under the relevant national regime
(Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican RepublicEcuador, India, Peru and Thailand, Mar-2005)
The relationship between the TRIPS agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional knowledge. Technical observations on issues raised in a communication by the United States
(India and Brazil, Mar-2005)
The relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the protection of traditional knowledge - Elements of the obligation to disclose evidence of prior informed consent under the relevant national regime
(Bolivia et al., Dec-2004)
Article 27.3(b), relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD, and the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore
(United States, Nov-2004)
Further observations by Switzerland on its proposals regarding the declaration of the source of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications
(Switzerland, Nov-2004)
Official country positions and proposals on TRIPS Article 27.3(b)
(GRAIN, Oct-2004)
Elements of the obligation to disclose the source and country of origin of the biological resources and/or traditional knowledge used in an invention
(Brazil et al., Sep-2004)
Elements of the obligation to disclose the source and country of origin of biological resource and/or traditional knowledge used in an invention
(Brazil et al., Sep-2004)
Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Peru, Thailand and Venezuela
Mar-2004 Africa-Caribbean-Pacific countries Aug-2003
African Group
Jun-2003
Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, Thailand, Venezuela
Jun-2003 ISF Position on Disclosure of Origin in Intellectual Property Protection Applications (International Seed Federation, Jun-2003)
Extract from the 2nd LDC Trade Ministers Meeting
Jun-2003
Switzerland
May-2003
European Community
Sep-2002
QUNO reports
Scientific briefing on TRIPS Art 27.3(b)
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Imprimer
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