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PrintBIO-IPR FAQ
Updated March 2004
What is BIO-IPR?
BIO-IPR is an electronic information service produced by GRAIN. Its purpose is to disseminate information about recent developments in the field of intellectual property rights (IPRs) related to biodiversity and associated knowledge. Operating through an email list, which anyone can subscribe to free of charge, it is a strictly non-commercial and educational service tailoured to nonprofit organisations and individuals active in the struggle against IPRs on life.
When and why did BIO-IPR start?
In December 1997, BIOTHAI and GRAIN co-organised an international workshop on sui generis rights, near Bangkok , Thailand . During the nearly year-long preparations for the workshop, we set up an electronic mailing list for the participants. Through that list, GRAIN circulated core documents and reading material, to prepare for the discussions. When the workshop was over, the participants asked us to continue maintaining the list, so we transformed it into a public service. BIO-IPR was thus launched in September 1998.
How do you select material for posting?
GRAIN regularly reviews a lot of information on the subject of intellectual property rights, community rights and biodiversity in developing countries. To narrow down “good” materials to share with others through the list, we use several criteria. We prioritise items that:
• are informative, serious and/or give an interesting angle to an issue
• have not been circulated widely already, unless it's very important material
• focus or have some bearing on developing countries
• are properly within the bounds of BIO-IPR's subject matter
In managing the coverage, we also try to:
• attend to the different interests of the readership (some people are interested in biopiracy case studies, others want to keep on top of intergovernmental negotiations, many want to hear about alternatives to monopoly rights, etc.)
• alert people to what is actually happening in the field of intellectual property (flag trends)
• balance the circulation of “Docservers” (full-text documents) with “Resource Pointers” (references).
It is often difficult to decide whether a document should be posted in full or placed in the Resource Pointers. Even though many people prefer to get the material in full, we do want to keep BIO-IPR as a low-volume list. Therefore, a lot of material ends up in the Resource Pointers.
Why does a questionnaire need to be completed for those who want to subscribe?
We understand anyone's reluctance to reply to a questionnaire, but we use one for a very simple reason. It helps us track who were are reaching and what you are interested in. All information collected through the questionnaire is kept strictly confidential.
Who is the readership?
There are presently 1,000 subscribers in about 60 countries. BIO-IPR posts are also forwarded by subscribers to other email lists and individuals.
Why are the postings erratic?
BIO-IPR is not a publication. It is communication tool through which we share references and materials that we come across, or work with, in the course of our own research. It is also deliberately low-volume. For these reasons, it is an irregular service, although we roughly aim to produce one post per week.
Why so few posts in French or Spanish?
Because of our lack of time to pull them together. This is one area where contributions would be highly appreciated.
How can I contribute?
All contributions are welcome. If you have material, leads or suggestions, you can send them to:
GRAIN Aurora Apts, Unit 1, Pearl St , Umali Sbd
College , Laguna 4031, Philippines
Fax: +63 49 536 5526
What do you do to improve the service?
GRAIN conducted a readership evaluation of BIO-IPR in 2000. We also receive a lot of informal feedback through email, meetings and other channels. Comments and suggestions are always appreciated and taken seriously. If you have any remarks or ideas to share, you may also use the feedback form provided below.
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